Chicago, IL – The Chicago Cubs made it official Friday and agreed to terms with catcher Dioner Navarro.
Financial terms of the one-year deal were not disclosed, but the Chicago Tribune on Thursday had reported it to be worth $1.75 million.
Navarro, a 2008 American League All-Star with Tampa Bay, appeared in just 24 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season, spending much of the campaign with Triple-A Louisville. He hit .290 with a pair of homers and 12 runs batted in at the big league level after batting .319 in the minors.
The 28-year-old switch-hitter has also played for the Yankees and Dodgers, but had his most productive years with the Rays from 2006-10. He helped Tampa Bay to the AL pennant in 2008, leading the club with a .295 batting average in 120 games.
Navarro is a career .245 hitter in 626 big league games with 41 homers and 209 runs batted in. The native of Venezuela signed with the Yankees in 2000 and made his debut for New York four years later.
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