Happy Birthday Dioner.
Jeff Blair had an interesting little bit, buried in a post mostly that's about the Leafs, with some stuff on Paul Beeston:
With Victor Martinez's availability for the start of the season in jeopardy, the Detroit Tigers have had discussions about acquiring switch-hitting Dioner Navarro from the Toronto Blue Jays, according to major league sources. Navarro, who hit .272 with eight home runs and 18 doubles as a left-handed bat for the Blue Jays, is considered the Blue Jays' top trade asset, but the team has signalled it won't move him unless it gets a pitcher in return.
So Happy Birthday Dioner. As a present, for turning 31, you get to be in today's Rumor of the Day.
The Jays have been talking about using Navarro as backup catcher/DH, but I'd rather have someone that could play first base and leave the DH spot to Edwin Encarnacion, if it were up to me. Though I would like someone better than Josh Thole to backup Russell Martin.
We figured Dioner would be a trade target when some team had a catcher go down with injury this spring, but for the Tigers he would be filling the DH spot.
I'm not sure that the Tigers would have a MLB ready pitcher that they would be willing to give up in trade. Maybe Buck Farmer, who had the same sort of 2014 as Daniel Norris, starting in A-ball and jumping through to Triple-A by season's end (though he didn't get a September callup). They aren't deep in the bullpen either, I wouldn't mind adding Al Alburquerque to the Jays pen, but I don't think that's likely.
In other news the Jays have made some 'minor league appointments. Former major league infielder, Mike Mordecai will take the job of Coordinator of Instruction for the minor league system. Aaron Mathews gets the job of hitting coach at Bluefield. Mathews was drafted by the Jays in 2004 and made it up to Vegas. He hit .281/.331/.409 in 791 minor league games. Danny Solano gets the job of Roving Infield Coach. He's been with the Jays, mostly coaching for the GCL Jays, since 2007. He played in the Jays system from 2002 to 2006.
The Jays also tell us that Fred McGriff has talking a consulting job with the Braves, after having been an 'adviser' with the Blue Jays the past 2 years.