Navarro's one-year deal with White Sox worth $4 million

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn didn't wait long to replace catcher Tyler Flowers and find more offense behind the plate.

Team officials confirmed Friday morning that free-agent catcher Dioner Navarro has agreed a one-year contract worth $4 million.

Navarro, 31, is a 12-year veteran who has played for the Yankees, Dodgers, Rays, Reds, Cubs and Blue Jays.

With Toronto last season, Navarro backed up Russell Martin and was limited to 54 games. He posted a .246/.307/.374 hitting line with 5 home runs and 20 RBI.

"Adding a veteran catcher like Dioner to complement the skill set of (recently acquired) Alex Avila provides our club with strong depth at the position for the 2016 season," Rick Hahn, Sox senior vice president/general manager, said in a statement. "Dioner's 12 seasons of experience at the major-league level and ability to switch-hit will provide Robin with additional roster and in-game flexibility throughout the season."

Flowers had a .239/.295/.356 line with 9 homers and 39 RBI in 112 games for the White Sox last season.

In 2014, Navarro was the Blue Jays' No. 1 catcher and the switch-hitter had a .274/.317/.395 slash line with 12 home runs and 69 RBI.

A better hitter from the right side, Navarro might wind up in a platoon situation with left-handed hitting catcher Alex Avila, who signed a one-year deal with the White Sox last week.

"I spoke with Alex (Wednesday) afternoon and reiterated what he was told prior to signing with us - there is no cap on any of our catchers' playing time," Hahn said on Thursday. "In other words, whoever deserves the opportunity to play based upon their own performance or matchups or whatever strategy (manager) Robin (Ventura) wants to use on a given day is the player that will be behind the plate.

"There could well be opportunities for at-bats from a DH spot, or perhaps in Alex's situation, a first base start here or there."

White Sox officials also confirmed they agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the right-handed pitcher Jacob Turner.

Turner, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2009 draft, was claimed off waivers from the Cubs in late October.

Sidelined for most of last season with a strained flexor tendon in his right elbow, Turner made 2 starts for Class AA Tennessee in June and allowed 2 earned runs in 9 innings.

In 61 major-league games (51 starts) with the Tigers, Marlins and Cubs, Turner is 11-25 with a 4.97 ERA.

• Scot Gregor will have more on Navarro's signing later today at dailyherald.com. Follow Scot's White Sox and baseball reports on Twitter@scotgregor.