Dioner Navarro, 22, is the key to a trade that sends Toby Hall and Mark Hendrickson to L.A.
By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer
Published June 28, 2006
MIAMI - Devil Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman has talked for more than six months about catcher Dioner Navarro, marveling at his ability to be an impact player at and behind the plate and convinced he could be a huge part of their future.
Tuesday, the Rays got him, trading two key pieces of their current team, catcher Toby Hall and starter Mark Hendrickson, and giving up $1-million in a deal with the Dodgers.
The Rays also acquired major-league starter Jae Seo and a minor-leaguer to be named, but the key to the deal was unquestionably the 22-year-old switch-hitting catcher whom manager Joe Maddon said could be a "cornerstone."
"Andrew's really had his eyes on this fellow for a while, and he's really liked him," Maddon said. "I've heard a lot of good things about this fellow."
The trade continues the new Rays regime's strategy of stockpiling promising young players who can be a part of their future success and should not, Friedman said, be considered a deal to dump high-salaried veterans as the Rays have done in the past.
"We think all in all this puts us in a better position going forward," Friedman said. "As we're building the type of team we're trying to do in terms of being competitive and more importantly being able to sustain that competitiveness, Navarro fits into that. We want to build around those type of players and augment through the free-agent process as opposed to trying to build through the free-agent process."
Navarro, once the Yankees' top prospect, took over as the Dodgers' starting catcher at the end of July 2005, hitting .273 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 50 games. He started the first month of this season, but he took a foul ball off the wrist in May and ended up on the disabled list. Rookie Russell Martin took the job and Navarro ended up back at Triple A, so he welcomed the opportunity to play every day again in the majors and to come home, as he has lived in Tampa the past six years.
"Last year they called me up and gave me the opportunity to play," Navarro, who is 5-foot-9 and 213 pounds and nicknamed Little Pudge in reference to Tigers star Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, said on a conference call. "I think I did a pretty good job and I proved myself in the big leagues and I proved I can play every day."
Maddon and Friedman raved about his plate discipline, his ability to hit for average and maintain a high on-base percentage and his power potential. They consider him a good receiver with a decent arm but admit he needs work on defensive fundamentals; he was 0-for-16 trying to throw out runners. "We'll give him a nice liberal arts education on catching," Maddon said.
Seo, 29, will replace Hendrickson in the rotation, starting Sunday at Washington, though he may get some work in relief tonight.
The South Korean was an impressive 8-2 with a 2.59 ERA for the Mets last season but struggled bouncing between the Dodgers rotation and bullpen, going 2-4 with a 5.78 ERA.
"We'd like to recapture what he did last year," Maddon said. "Looking at that it was pretty impressive. . . . From what I gather when he gets steady work he pitches better, and hopefully we'll be able to give him that opportunity here to get steady work."
Though the Rays save some money this season, as Hall was making $2.25-million and Hendrickson $1.95-million, Friedman said this was not a deal made for financial reasons. Plus, he said they will have more flexibility next season, when each would have been in line for raises to around $4-million, and they have the rights to Navarro for five more seasons and Seo, who will be arbitration eligible for the first time after this season, for three.
Hall, one of the longest-serving Rays, admitted he was disappointed to be leaving, having been in the organization since 1997 and having made his home in Tampa and been active in the community with his own charitable foundation.
"That's the hardest thing to swallow," said Hall, the Rays primary starter since 2002. "You always think that things can turn around here and you want to be part of that. I've been through the worst here. I always thought we could obviously turn this around, but it's not going that way."
But he also was excited by the opportunity to join a contender.
"Hopefully I can bring these guys to another level and win a championship out there," Hall said. "I'm really excited to go out there. When you put your cleats on and you have a chance to win every night in front of 40,000-50,000 people, it's going to be weird. I don't know - it's almost like a dream."
Hendrickson, 32, has been one of the Rays' most consistent starters, which made him the Dodgers' primary target in the deal. Though he has been with the Rays only two seasons, he, too, had mixed emotions about leaving.
"I'm somebody when I pack my stuff and look forward, I'm full steam ahead, but I think the tough part is the sudden abrupt change in life," Hendrickson said.
RAYS TRADE
RAYS GIVE UP: Catcher Toby Hall and pitcher Mark Hendrickson.
RAYS GAIN: Catcher Dioner Navarro and pitcher Jae Seo from the Dodgers. Bios of each on 4C.
FACEOFF
Sunday's Faceoff question: Do you like the trade? Why or why not? Send your answer in 150 words or fewer, along with your name, age, and hometown to sptsnews@sptimes.com.
