CLEVELAND -- After the Indians re-signed left-hander Oliver Pérez two weeks ago, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said the focus would be shifted to non-roster-type players on the free-agent market and, on Thursday, the Tribe proved that to be true.
The club announced the signings of free-agent infielder Ryan Flaherty and catcher Dioner Navarro to Minor League contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training camp.
Flaherty, will be a utility option for the Tribe, having made double-digit appearances at all four infield positions, left field and right field during his seven-year career. He spent his first six seasons with the Orioles -- hitting .215 with 35 home runs, 128 RBIs in 452 games. Last season, the 32-year-old infielder played in 81 games for the Braves and he appeared in two games in the National League Division Series against the Dodgers.
Navarro has played in 13 Major League seasons and he made his big league debut in 2004 for the Yankees. After making five appearances with New York that season, the 34-year-old veteran bounced around between six other clubs before stepping away from the game for the 2017 season due to a family medical emergency.
In 2008, Navarro had a breakout year, slashing .295/.349/.407, and he was named an American League All-Star with the Rays. His last big league appearance came in 2016 with the Blue Jays. Navarro has most recently appeared in 20 games for La Guaira in the Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional, hitting .284 with .748 OPS.