The San Diego Padres have had a very busy offseason. So far they have added Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, and Derek Norris. The All Star catcher was a big part of the Oakland A’s recent success, but Billy Beane has started a fire sale this offseason as five of the seven 2014 A’s All Stars will don a different uniform in 2015.
From the Padres standpoint, with the moves they’ve been making, this is a solid trade. Norris is a young catcher, and while he may not be the best defensively, he adds a lot of pop to a lineup and can make some pretty good plays here and there.
At only 25-years-old, Norris has experienced postseason play three years in a row, and was named to his first All Star Game in 2014. A game in which he scored a crucial run as the AL went on to beat the NL in the Midsummer Classic. This past season, Norris hit .270 with 10 homeruns and 55 RBI while sharing playing time with John Jaso and Stephen Vogt. 2014 was Norris’ best season of his young career and this was undoubtedly his highest value.
For Norris, a change of scenery will be beneficial, and in San Diego he will be able to escape the platoon he was trapped in with the A’s.
As for the A’s, they received Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alvarez for Norris. Hahn looks to be a factor when it comes to Oakland’s rotation next season. In 14 games with the Padres last season, 12 starts, Hahn went 7-4 with a 3.07 ERA. While the A’s received a solid return for Norris, he was still an All Star and a big bat in the A’s lineup. Not to mention both Jaso and Vogt have suffered on the injury front the last few seasons, while Norris has remained healthy for the most part and contributed offensively.
Beane has brought in a lot of pitching this offseason, which has led many to believe that he has some big plans moving forward. While another blockbuster trade may potentially be in the works, the key offensive pieces are all gone. Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, and now Derek Norris. The A’s have always struggled at the plate, and they will have to bring in some pretty good bats to set a good lineup.
Pitching is important, and great pitching helps the most mediocre lineup, but the A’s are lacking offense. The offseason is nowhere near over, so it’ll be interesting to see what else Beane does to put the A’s in contention in the tough AL West.
This offseason was the perfect time for Beane to sell his All Star players because they are at their highest value. That being said, they had a few key pieces set and just needed to add a few players to make them even stronger; now they are essentially starting from scratch.
The A’s had three catchers on their roster, but each played a key role in leading the team to the Wild Card game. The Norris trade comes as a bit of a shock, as have the majority of the A’s deals this offseason, simply because of offensive production. Despite being in a platoon situation, Norris was able to contribute when given the opportunity, which led to his All Star honors.
The Padres continue to add good players and improve, while the A’s make head-shaking moves by tearing down a legitimate roster.