Daniel Nava

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2007
IND:  371/470/625, 256 AB, 23 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 48 BB, 42 K, 18-20 SB

Nava signed with Chico of the independent Golden Baseball League and had a huge season.  The Red Sox signed him to a minor league contract after the season.

2008
A+:  341/424/523, 323 AB, 27 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 43 BB, 70 K, 4-7 SB

Boston sent Nava to their California League affiliate.  He played only sporadically at first, but eventually hit his way into a regular role.

2009
A+:  339/434/495, 109 AB, 12 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 18 BB, 21 K, 0-2 SB
AA:  364/479/568, 118 AB, 10 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 25 BB, 12 K

Nava missed most of the season’s first half due to injury.  Boston eventually sent him back to high A, this time in the much-less-extreme hitting environment of the Carolina League.  He continued to hit very well and finished the season in AA, where he hit even better.

2010
AAA:  289/372/458, 284 AB, 16 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 28 BB, 64 K, 4-6 SB
MLB:  242/351/360, 161 AB, 14 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 19 BB, 46 K, 1-2 SB

Nava opened the season in AAA and continued to hit well, although without the gaudy numbers of the previous two years.  The Sox called him up in mid-June and he hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw in the majors.  He was up and down several times the rest of the year and hit respectably in the majors, with a good walk rate but some trouble making contact.

2011
AAA:  268/372/406, 441 AB, 27 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 70 BB, 88 K, 10-13 SB

The Sox kept Nava in AAA the entire season.  He had just a fair year, with excellent plate discipline but only modest power.

2012
AAA:  313/425/525, 99 AB, 7 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 16 BB, 15 K, 1-2 SB
MLB:  243/352/390, 267 AB, 21 2B, 6 HR, 37 BB, 63 K, 3-3 SB

After opening the year in AAA, Nava got called up in May.  He spent the rest of the year with the Red Sox, except for a brief rehab after he missed three weeks in August with a sprained wrist.  He hit just respectably in the majors, but with a good OBP due to a high walk rate.

2013
MLB:  303/385/445, 458 AB, 29 2B, 12 HR, 51 BB, 93 K, 0-2 SB

Nava spent the season with Boston and had his best year.  He got off to a good start and earned more or less regular playing time.  His numbers were helped by a high, but not outlandish, BABIP of .352.

2014
AAA:  253/347/398, 83 AB, 3 2B, 3 HR, 12 BB, 21 K, 2-3 SB
MLB:  270/346/361, 363 AB, 21 2B, 4 HR, 33 BB, 81 K, 4-6 SB

Nava started the season in the majors, but slumped and got sent to AAA in late April.  He returned after a month and spent the rest of the season with Boston.  He fell off from the previous year, partly due to a lower walk rate and higher K rate.

2015
AAA (Bos):  250/357/361, 36 AB, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 11 K, 2-2 SB
MLB (Bos):  152/260/182, 66 AB, 2 2B, 8 BB, 17 K
MLB (TB):  233/364/301, 73 AB, 2 2B, 1 HR, 12 BB, 19 K, 1-1 SB

Nava got off to a very slow start with Boston, then went on the disabled list in late May with a sprained thumb.  He ultimately missed two months, not counting a AAA rehab.  The Red Sox designated him for assignment in late July and Tampa Bay claimed him.  He spent the rest of the season with the Rays and didn’t do much apart from a good walk rate.  He became a free agent after the season and signed a one-year contract with the Angels.

2016
A+ (LAA):  091/231/091, 11 AB, 2 BB, 1 K
AAA (LAA):  365/413/471, 85 AB, 6 2B, 1 HR, 6 BB, 10 K, 1-2 SB
AAA (KC):  143/455/286, 7 AB, 1 2B, 3 BB, 1 K
MLB (LAA):  235/309/303, 119 AB, 5 2B, 1 HR, 9 BB, 26 K
MLB (KC):  091/167/182, 11 AB, 1 2B, 1 BB, 4 K

Nava missed most of the season’s first half with knee and groin injuries.  He rejoined the Angels in mid-June and batted .284 through the end of July, but with little power and less patience than he’d shown in the past.  The Angels outrighted him in early August and then traded him to the Royals at the end of the month.  Kansas City called him up about a week later and he spent the rest of the season in the majors, getting only a dozen plate appearances.  The Royals non-tendered Nava after the season and he signed a minor league deal with the Phillies.

2017
AA:  250/250/250, 4 AB
AAA:  1.000/1.000/1.500, 2 AB, 1 2B, 1 BB
MLB:  301/393/421, 183 AB, 8 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 26 BB, 38 K, 1-1 SB

Nava made the Phillies’ roster out of spring training.  He had something of a bounceback year, although he was again plagued by injuries.  He went on the disabled list in May and July with a strained hamstring, then missed two weeks in August with a back strain.  He reinjured his back in mid-September and missed the rest of the season.  When he played, he showed the patience at the plate he’d shown earlier in his career.  He was also helped by a .357 BABIP.

2018
INJURED

Nava was expected to compete for a bench role with the Pirates during spring training, but he started having back problems at the beginning of the spring and ended up having surgery.  The Pirates released him afterward, then signed him to another minor league deal three days later.  He was originally expected to miss 10-12 weeks, but he had a setback in his recovery and the Pirates announced in July that he’d miss the entire season.

Nava will be a free agent after the season.