The Phillies have agreed to a minor-league deal with outfielder Daniel Nava, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on Twitter. Nava, 33, spent last year with the Angels and (briefly) the Royals.
It has been some time since Nava was a productive major leaguer. He put up a roughly league-average batting line in 2014 with the Red Sox, one year after his breakout 2013 campaign, but owns a modest .208/.307/.268 slash in his 314 plate appearances since that time. Nava is a switch-hitter who is historically much better against right-handed pitching.
While the rebuilding Phillies have added one likely corner outfield piece in Howie Kendrick, and continue to feature Odubel Herrera up the middle, there’s still ample uncertainty in the outfield. Nava will likely join the hunt for work in a platoon or true bench role along with a number of other players — including both prospects and other veterans brought in from outside the organization.
As things stand, younger corner outfield possibilities include right-handed hitters Aaron Altherr and Tyler Goeddel as well as the switch-hitting Roman Quinn. There are a few southpaw-swinging outfield candidates, too, including highly regarded prospects Nick Williams and Dylan Cozens, but it’s not clear whether they’ll be deemed ready for a major role out of the gates.
I’ve always liked Nava, sad that the Angels “experiment” didn’t work.
Hope he gets a bench role as a role model/Journey man
His first major-league it was a grand slam at Philadelphia
Hit
It was at Boston. It was against the Phillies
It was on the first pitch he saw too.
You 2 can get your sh– together. I deal with facts. Fact of the matter… this guy was garbage for the Angels.
Angels fan, You beat me to the punch. And it was Mr. Wonderful Innings Eater himself, Joe Blanton. That was sarcasm if it wasn’t detected on Blanton. IMHO, he was useless and still is, ask this year Dodgers, when they were in the playoffs.
He sure is useless, I wonder who signs him next
Probably some rec league
And for the 6 months before he was quite good
Nava is one of those guys you have to root for no matter what. He was an undrafted free agent who was once cut by his college team and yet was a major contributor to a World Series champion team. Had this all happened during the Great Depression he’d have his own movie along side James J. Braddock.
You all talk as if this guy is any good…. He put up a roughly league-average batting line in 2014 with the Red Sox, one year after his breakout 2013 campaign, but owns a modest .208/.307/.268 slash in his 314 plate appearances since that time.. Modest is being kind…. his numbers are horrid.
As for Blanton, you praise Nava and his numbers… well, I think they speak for them-self., and yet Blanton has come back as a very good reliever. Didn’t pitch in the majors in 2014 – came back to have a 7-2 Record with a 2.84 ERA in 2015 and followed that up w/ a 7-2 Record with a 2.48 ERA.
Can’t really say there are too many better options left on the relievers market for a team looking for a very solid 7th / 8th inning man, and you suggest he’d be afools choice to sign, and the other guy said some Rec league would sign him…
Get Real…
Blanton did rebound from his black days with the Angels… During the playoffs against the cubs, he was a victim of a
BAD CALL … that was strike 3, and he was ticked off, lost his concentration and in then next pitch he hanged an slider and the rest is history … something like that happened to Langston against the Yankees back in the days … can’t blame the guy .. he did improve…
Blanton to the A’s