Brewers send minor-league pitcher to Seattle for catcher Omar Narvaez

Published Dec. 5, 2019 12:03 p.m. ET

The Milwaukee Brewers have found their replacement for catcher Yasmani Grandal in Omar Narvaez.

The Brewers on Thursday acquired Narvaez from Seattle in exchange for minor-league pitcher Adam Hill and a 2020 Competitive Balance Round B selection.

Narvaez spent one year with the Mariners, who traded for the catcher from the Chicago White Sox last offseason. He slashed .278/.353/.460 with 22 home runs in 132 games. The left-handed hitter was especially productive against right-handed pitchers, slashing .289/.346/.490 with 20 of his homers.

“Omar has established himself as one of the best offensive catchers in the game,” Brewers general manager David Stearns said in a statement. “We believe his bat will give us an impactful left-handed presence in our lineup.”

Milwaukee could look to platoon Narvaez, who batted .227/.379/.320 vs. lefties, with Manny Pina, who re-signed with the Brewers for one year. In 81 plate appearances last season, Pina hit .319/.395/.569 against left-handers.

Pina could also be used to sub in for Narvaez defensively. In his four-year career, Narvaez has thrown out only 21% of attempted base stealers. In 2019, that number was down to 18% and his dWAR was -0.6 (-0.1 in his career). Pina has a 35% success rate on stolen base attempts (league average is 27% over that same time) and his career dWAR is 3.4.

Narvaez, who turns 28 in February, is arbitration eligible in 2020 and can’t become a free agent until 2023.

Hill was a fourth-round pick of the New York Mets in 2018 who was acquired by the Brewers this past January as part of a deal for Keon Broxton. In 26 games (23 starts) with Single-A Wisconsin, the right-handed throwing Hill posted a 3.92 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 121 2/3 innings with 109 strikeouts.