BRADENTON, Fla. — Daniel Nava's absence at LECOM Park was a short one. The 35-year-old outfielder signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates on Friday — less than 72 hours after the club released him.
Nava is still recovering from back surgery after undergoing a procedure in February, which is expected to sideline him for 10-12 weeks. Now, he'll continue his rehabilitation in Bradenton, where he will remain involved in the club's baseball operations until he returns to health.
Nava, a switch-hitter, was signed to a minor-league contract in January and was set to compete for a spot as the club's fourth outfielder. However, he experienced lower back discomfort during the first full-squad workout at Pirate City last month. An MRI revealed that he required surgery.
The Pirates retained him in hopes that he could provide a veteran presence on the bench at some point this summer. After all, Nava is far more accomplished than any other internal candidate for that job.
Nava, who won the World Series with the Red Sox in 2013, showed impressive discipline at the plate with 38 strikeouts to 26 walks last season. However, he struggled against left-handed pitching. He’s batted just .211/.296/.293 against lefties in his major league career, compared to .281/.374/.404 against right-handers.
He had a breakout season for the Red Sox in 2013, batting .303 with 12 home runs and 66 RBI in a career-high 134 games, but his production has dipped significantly. Nava has not played more than 60 major league games in one season since, and he’s bounced around between the Red Sox, Rays, Angels, Royals and Phillies.