Goldeyes re-sign Navarro

The Winnipeg Goldeyes have re-signed veteran infielder Raul Navarro. Photo: Winnipeg Goldeyes/Twitter

February 22, 2022

By Steve Schuster

Winnipeg Goldeyes

The Winnipeg Goldeyes re-signed infielder Raul Navarro on Tuesday.

Navarro hit .310 with two home runs and 45 RBIs in 88 games for the Goldeyes last season.

The Los Llanos, Dominican Republic native tied for ninth in the American Association with 24 doubles, while contributing 48 runs, two triples, 20 stolen bases, and 42 walks. Navarro hit safely in 68 of his 88 games, and reached base (hit, walk, hit by pitch) in 81 of them.

Navarro ran off a 14-game hitting streak from June 2 to June 19, and later had a career-high 18-game streak from June 26 through July 14. Defensively, the 30-year-old Navarro split time at third base and shortstop, committing just nine total errors all season.

“Raul had a fantastic 2021 season for us, and I’m very happy he is returning for 2022,” said Goldeyes manager Rick Forney. “He is very versatile, both offensively and defensively. Raul had a very good winter season in Nicaragua, and I’m hopeful he can continue his strong play with the Goldeyes in 2022.”

Navarro enters his 11th season of professional baseball, and is a career .279 hitter with a .352 on-base percentage in 745 games.

A right-handed hitter and fielder, Navarro originally signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an international free agent in 2009, and reached the triple-A level in 2015. In 2011, Baseball America rated Navarro as having the best infield arm in Arizona’s farm system.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Navarro has struck out in just 17 percent of his 3,094 career plate appearances, and has averaged 90 runs, 27 doubles, 60 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, and 63 walks per 162 contests as a professional. Navarro was voted the independent Pacific Association’s Most Valuable Player in 2019 after leading the league in batting average (.372), and helping the San Rafael Pacifics win the Pacific Association championship.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes now have 15 players signed to contracts for the 2022 season. American Association clubs may carry up to 30 players during spring training, which begins May 5.

2022 Winnipeg Goldeyes Player Signings

RHP Freisis Adames

C Hidekel Gonzalez

OF Logan Hill

IF Kevin Lachance

RHP Josh Lucas

OF Max Murphy

IF Raul Navarro

RHP Erasmo Pinales

RHP Luis Ramirez

RHP Zac Ryan

IF Ian Sagdal

LHP Travis Seabrooke (Peterborough, Ont.)

LHP Tasker Strobel

RHP Jhon Vargas

1B David Washington

The Winnipeg Goldeyes open the 2022 season on Friday, May 13 versus the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Shaw Park.