Though the Toronto Blue Jays signed Dioner Navarro to a two-year deal last winter, the club may be looking for an upgrade behind the plate.
According to Sportsnet's Jeff Blair, the club has had internal discussions about free agent Russell Martin, an Ontario native who finished third among catchers with 5.3 WAR with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014. Martin, who posted a career-best 136 OPS+ this past season, is expected to receive a qualifying offer from the Pirates and will be attached to draft-pick compensation should he sign elsewhere this winter.
Navarro, meanwhile, defied expectations this season when he started 102 games behind the plate, his most since 2009, while hitting .274/.317/.395 (100 OPS+) over a career-high 520 plate appearances. Behind the plate, though, he pales in comparison to Martin, and the Blue Jays could look to install Navarro as their designated hitter in the absence of Adam Lind, who was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
