Atlanta Braves Agree a 1 Year Deal with Bud Norris
By Fred Owens
Former Astros, Orioles and Padres pitcher Bud Norris signed a one year contract with the Atlanta Braves today. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Late this afternoon John Heyman broke the news that the Atlanta Braves added Bud Norris to their 2106 rotation.
bud norris gets $2.5M on 1-year braves deal
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 25, 2015
Bud Norris
Norris was a sixth round selection of the Houston Astros in the 2006 draft. He made his major league debut for the Astros in 2009 and over his five year stretch in their rotation pitched to a 4.33 ERA, 4.14 FIP and 1.404 WHIP in 118 starts and one relief appearance.
At the trade deadline in 2013 the Orioles were looking for a cheap but reliable starter and traded a 2014 competitive balance round A draft pick, outfielder L.J. Hoes and minor league lefty Josh Hader to the Astros for Norris.
In the second half of 2013 Norris made 9 starts and 2 relief appearance for the O’s posting a 4-3 record with a 4.8 ERA, 3.82 FIP and 1.678 WHIP in 66 1/3 IP. He rebounded a bit in 2014 posting a 3.65 ERA, 4.22 FIP and 1.216 WHIP over 165 1/3 IP in 28 starts. He struck out 139 hitters and walked just 52 but he also led the AL by hitting 14 batters.
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This season was a disaster for Norris. He started in the Orioles rotation and made 11 starts before being pushed to the bullpen. His ERA ballooned to 7.06 (5.64 FIP) and 1.643 WHIP in just 66 1/3 IP while giving up 14 home runs; he gave up just 15 in all of 2014. On August 8 the Orioles released Norris.
Three days after his release the Padres signed Norris. He made 20 appearances, all in relief, for the Padres throwing just 16 2/3 innings allowing 10 earned runs resulting in a 5.40 ERA and 1.320 WHIP.
His Pitches
Norris features a fastball (56.3%) that averages 93-94 MPH. a slider (32.3%) at 85-86 MPH and a change (9.6%) at the same kind of velocity. Last year those pitches produce a 43.8% groundball rate, 22.4% line drive rate and 33.7 %FB rate.
His Role
He profiles as a fifth starter and innings eater and John Coppolella told AJC’s David O’Brien they expect him to be in the rotation.
#Braves GM Coppolella on Norris: “We feel that he will be a valuable part of our starting rotation in 2016.”
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 25, 2015
In he’s unable to hold that rotation spot they could of course slide him back to the bullpen.
Why Norris?
He’s cheap. The contract amounts to just $2.5M and it’s only one year so there’s no long term exposure. The other possibility is that Norris regains enough form that he could be traded at the deadline. There was some talk of Norris being inured last season but his trip to the DL was for Bronchitis and he has no history of serious injury at any point in his career.
That’s A Wrap
I’m not impressed. Unlike Aaron Harang or even the career of Trevor Cahill before he went to Arizona, Norris has never looked like more than a back of the rotation guy. As he’s aged he hasn’t changed much and while a move back to the NL could make his numbers look a bit better, he could just as likely be a DFA in June as a regular member of the rotation.
John Hart promised us he would be aggressive in the free agent market this off season and we’d see fewer big trades. The traveling Johns have already blown the second half of that promise out of the water and this trade is not what anyone would call aggressive. The rotation did need a veteran innings eater because so many young arms will be on an innings limit. Here’s hoping Norris doesn’t choke on them.