Athletics trade All-Star catcher Derek Norris to Padres
The Oakland Athletics have traded catcher Derek Norris to the San Diego Padres, the teams announced Thursday night.
News of the deal first broke earlier Thursday. Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News was the first to report the trade.
In exchange for Norris, the A's are receiving right-handers Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alvarez from the Padres. Oakland is also sending minor league pitcher Seth Streich and an international signing slot to San Diego.
Norris, an All-Star in 2014 for the first time in his career, becomes the latest player to be sent away with the Athletics entering a rebuilding phase.
Originally acquired from the Nationals in the trade that sent pitcher Gio Gonzalez to Washington, Norris made his major league debut in 2012, playing in 60 games. After playing in 98 games in 2013, Norris had a breakout season in 2014, hitting .270 with a .763 OPS, 10 home runs and 55 RBI in 385 at-bats.
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The 25-year-old isn't yet arbitration-eligible and is under team control until 2019.
Hahn, 25, made 12 starts and two relief appearances as a rookie for the Padres in 2014, going 7-4 with a 3.07 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 73.1 innings.
Alvarez, 23, was traded from the Los Angeles Angels to the Padres last season as part of the Huston Street deal. He recorded a 1.25 ERA over 38 relief appearances between the Double A affiliates of the two teams, striking out 61 batters in 43.1 innings.
Streich, a 23-year-old right-hander, made 22 starts for High A Stockton in 2014, going 9-6 with a 3.16 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 114 innings.
Also Thursday, San Diego acquired outfielder Matt Kemp from the Dodgers in a five-player deal. On Wednesday, the Padres were involved in a three-team deal that saw the team acquire outfielder Wil Myers and catcher Ryan Hanigan from the Tampa Bay Rays.
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With the trade of Norris, the A's have now sent away five of their seven 2014 All-Stars, four of them this offseason: third baseman Josh Donaldson was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, first baseman Brandon Moss to the Cleveland Indians and starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija to the Chicago White Sox.
Outfielder YoenisCespedeswas traded to the Boston Red Sox in July in a deal that netted the A's starting pitcher Jon Lester, several weeks after the team acquired Samardzija from the Chicago Cubs. (Lester signed with the Cubs last week.)
The acquisition of the two pitchers was seen as the A's going for a World Series in the short term, necessitating a rebuild after Oakland failed to win the title.
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The A's went 88-74 in 2014 and made the playoffs for the third straight year but were eliminated in the Wild Card game by the Kansas City Royals, who went on to win the American League pennant.
- Ben Estes
