The White Sox announced they have signed a catcher Omar Narvaez to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training. The veteran backstop is represented by ISE Baseball.
Narváez, who turns 33 next month, has had quite an unusual career. Once a first-strike catcher with defensive question marks, he later changed his profile and became a solid defender with a lukewarm bat. Last year he wasn't successful in either category and spent most of the season in the minors.
From 2016 to 2019, he slashed .276/.361/.411 for a 113 wRC+ with the White Sox and Mariners. But thanks to his poor defensive numbers, he was worth just 3.1 wins above replacement in 353 games over that period, according to FanGraphs calculations. He then spent 2020-22 with the Brewers, hitting .233/.318/.350 for an 84 wRC+ but posting 4.6 fWAR in 247 games thanks to his superior work behind the plate.
The Mets signed him to a two-year, $15 million contract through 2023, but that turned into a bust. A severe left calf strain sidelined him early in the first year of that contract and he played in just 49 games that season, hitting just .211/.283/.297. Entering 2024, he posted a dismal line of .154/.191/.185 in 69 plate appearances. He was released in early June and signed a minor league contract with the Astros, hitting .196/.325/.304 in 169 Triple-A appearances.
It's obviously been a tough time for Narváez, but he has a track record of major league success on both offense and defense, although usually not at the same time. He's a reasonable flyer for the Sox, who have had little success behind the plate. They currently have two catchers on the 40-man roster: Korey Lee And Matt Thaiss. Lee is a former prospect who could still break out, but has hit .188/.227/.313 in his career so far. Thaiss, who was signed for cash last month, is slightly better in action but is not considered a strong defender.
The future of the club probably lies in this Edgar Quero or Kyle Teel or both. Quero was acquired from the Angels Lucas Giolito/Reynaldo Lopez Trade and Teel from the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet act. Both are consensus top 100 candidates, but they may not be immediate solutions. Neither of them is still on the 40-man roster. Quero only has 26 games at the Triple-A level while Teel has 28. It's certainly possible for both to reach the majors this year, but there's no guarantee they'll be immediately successful even if they do. Narváez gives the club an experienced backbone they can rely on when their younger players get injured or hit speed bumps.
