Navegantes del Magallanes Add Dillon Tate, Complete Import Group for LVBP Title Defense

Defending LVBP champion Navegantes del Magallanes have completed their foreign-player group for the 2026-27 season by adding former MLB reliever Dillon Tate and utility player Damon Dues, giving manager Yadier Molina the final two pieces of an eight-player import class ahead of the club’s title defense.

Both players are expected to be available from the start of the season. Magallanes begins preseason work on September 26 before opening the regular season on October 12 against Tiburones de La Guaira.

Dillon Tate adds MLB experience to Magallanes bullpen

Tate, 32, brings six seasons of Major League experience to a bullpen the club already views as one of its strengths. The right-hander appeared in 196 MLB games from 2019 through 2025, compiling a 4.09 ERA across 222 innings with Baltimore and Toronto.

He spent the 2026 season in Triple-A in the Los Angeles Angels organization, where he went 5-4 with a 3.30 ERA over 30 innings. Tate struck out 24 and walked 11 in 22 appearances.

Magallanes sporting manager Federico Rojas Zabolotnyj highlighted Tate’s stuff, experience in late innings and the fact that the reliever is expected to arrive without usage restrictions. That gives Molina another experienced option for high-leverage situations as the club prepares to defend its championship.

Damon Dues gives Molina defensive flexibility

Dues is the only position player among Magallanes’ eight imports. The 28-year-old spent five seasons in the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres minor-league systems before moving into Mexican baseball.

Across 43 games in Mexico in 2026, Dues hit .288 with a .408 on-base percentage and a .484 slugging percentage. He collected five doubles, five triples and five home runs, drove in 21 runs and stole seven bases.

Although Dues has experience around second base, Magallanes expects to use him primarily in the outfield. He started 33 of his 43 games in Mexico this year in left field.

Magallanes finalize eight-player import class

Tate and Dues join pitchers Jesús Reyes, Alex Tovalin, Reid Birlingmair, Nick Trogrlic-Iverson, Drew Parrish and Víctor Vargas in the club’s foreign-player group. Seven of the eight imports are pitchers, underlining the emphasis Magallanes has placed on run prevention entering the new campaign.

The roster construction comes after Magallanes captured its 14th LVBP championship in February, beating Caribes de Anzoátegui 14-6 in Game 6 to take the final series four games to two. Molina now enters the new season trying to turn that championship run into consecutive Venezuelan titles.