Atlanta Braves Trade News 2015: Veteran Starter Bud Norris Signed to One-Year $2.5 Million Deal
The Atlanta Braves are clearly on a rebuilding mode heading into the next Major League Baseball season, and the signing of veteran free agent Bud Norris is the team's latest move intended to use the right-hander as a vital piece of getting a young player at the onset of the trade deadline.
According to MLB.com, of the nine prospects the Atlanta Braves have, eight are pitchers. This basically means that the addition of Norris does not really mean he's going to get a lot of playing time for the team. The 30-year-old pitcher played for two teams last season, splitting time with the Orioles and the Padres, going 3-11 with a 6.72 ERA, while playing a total of 83 innings.
Several reports put the figures of the deal at $2.5 million for one year, something that the veteran surely would welcome considering that he wasn't that consistent last season. After coming off his arguably best year in 2014 with figures like 15-8 and 3.65 ERA with Baltimore, he then followed it up with a rather mediocre performance the year later.
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While the Braves are going to use him as a trade asset, Norris for his part can use this opportunity to be able to improve his value in the hope of getting a much better contract once the 2016 season ends. He is still 30, suggesting that there still is a lot of baseball left in him. Also, being in the NL East means that he can carve out his own niche with no known quality offense in this division.
With Norris' signing, the Braves are looking at several options, with Norris joining Julio Teheran, Shelby Miller, and probably Matt Wisler. However, there are still possibilities that any of them might be traded in the next week or so.
In a crazy MLB offseason, anything is possible.
