(Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America)
In the first major move made by the Yankees during the GM Meetings earlier this month, the club traded popular backup catcher John Ryan Murphy to the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Aaron Hicks to fill the void left on the bench by lefty masher Chris Young.
Though many assume that either top catching prospect Gary Sanchez or Austin Romine will fill the role as McCann’s understudy behind the plate, the Yankees could turn to old friend Navarro as a short-term catching option and allow Sanchez further development time at Triple-A Scranton.
Navarro, a former top prospect in the Yankees system during the lean prospect years in the mid-2000s, carved out a career as a journeyman backup for five different teams, achieving his most notable success as a part-time starter with both the Chicago Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, reaching double digits in home runs. A switch hitter with power, Navarro would take the pressure off rushing Sanchez and provide much-needed insurance in the interim if McCann goes down to injury.
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