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Dodgers Acquire Bud Norris

By Steve Adams | June 30, 2016 at 2:19pm CDT

The Dodgers on Thursday officially acquired right-hander Bud Norris, minor league outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named later and cash considerations from the Braves in exchange for minor league right-hander Caleb Dirks and minor league lefty Phil Pfeifer. Norris should step right into an injury-plagued rotation that saw Clayton Kershaw hit the disabled list with a back injury earlier today. Norris last pitched on June 26, so he could start in place of Kershaw tomorrow.

[Related: Updated Los Angeles Dodgers depth chart]

Bud Norris

Norris, 31, began the season in the Atlanta rotation and pitched dreadfully throughout the month of April, logging an ERA just under 9.00 and losing his spot in the rotation. However, Norris made some alterations while working out of the bullpen and forced his way back into the Atlanta rotation, and he’s been a revelation since. As Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan recently examined, Norris ditched an ineffective changeup for a cutter that has been scintillating since its adoption, and the results have been stunning. In 29 1/3 innings since rejoining the rotation, Norris has pitched to a 2.15 ERA with a 29-to-8 K/BB ratio and an enormous 59.2 percent ground-ball rate. Overall, since losing his rotation spot in late April, Norris holds a 2.08 ERA in 47 1/3 innings.

While finances are rarely of concern for the Dodgers, they’re particularly negligible in the case of Norris, who inked a one-year, $2.5MM contract with Atlanta this offseason. Of that sum, Norris is still owed about $1.3MM through the end of the season. Toscano, meanwhile, is owed $1.3MM in 2016, $1.5MM in 2017 and $1.5MM in 2018 plus a $200K buyout of a $1.7MM option for the 2019 season. The outfielder, signed out of Cuba a couple of years ago, had already been removed from the Braves’ 40-man roster, so presumably the Dodgers have agreed to take on some of that salary in order to entice the Braves to part with Norris and the PTBNL.

The Dodgers essentially have an entire rotation on the disabled list, as Kershaw is joined there by Alex Wood, Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu. Norris will join healthy starters Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias and Brock Stewart in the L.A. rotation, though that group figures to be thinned once again when Urias is shut down for a time following the All-Star break. Then again, the Dodgers’ hope is that Kershaw can return following the Midsummer Classic, so in a best-case scenario they’ll swap Kershaw out for Urias following the break.

Dirks, 23, was a 15th-round pick by the Braves back in 2014 but was traded to the Dodgers last summer for international slot money. He currently ranks 30th among their prospects in the eyes of MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo and will now return to the organization that originally selected him out of the draft. Dirks has a 1.44 ERA and a stellar 35-to-7 K/BB ratio through 31 1/3 innings out of the ’pen for the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate in Tulsa this season. Callis and Mayo write that Dirks has a fastball with good sink that sits in the low 90s and tops out around 94 mph as well as a slider in the low 80s that grades out as an average pitch. The MLB.com duo notes that the Dodgers “love” Dirks’ competitive streak and ability to handle high leverage situations, adding that he could be a setup man in the Majors if everything clicks.

Pfeifer, also 23, was Los Angeles’ third-round pick just last season. He’s split the year between Class-A and Class-A Advanced, where he’s worked to a 2.67 ERA with 42 strikeouts against 18 walks in 30 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.

The Braves signed Toscano, now 27, out of Cuba prior to the 2015 season. Visa issues significantly delayed his arrival to the Braves’ organization even after his signing, and he was outrighted off the 40-man roster last year. Toscano was once looked at as having the upside of a fourth outfielder, but he’s batted just .226/.310/.271 in 203 plate appearances for Atlanta’s Double-A affiliate this season.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that Norris was going to Los Angeles (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that Dirks and Pfeifer were in the deal (via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Atlanta Braves Los Angeles Dodgers Newsstand Transactions Bud Norris Dian Toscano

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View Comments (56)
Post a Comment

56 Comments

  1. thediesel4

    9 years ago

    Tristan Thompson??? A guy can dream right?

    Reply
    • agentx

      9 years ago

      Not sure how LeBron would feel about that.

      Reply
      • ThatGuy 2

        9 years ago

        Ha!

        Reply
    • TheChanceyColborn

      9 years ago

      You mean Trayce Thompson? I’m pretty sure Tristan Thompson is on the Cavs.

      Reply
      • thebighurt619

        9 years ago

        And klay and trayce arent related to tristian. Least, i dont think so.

        Reply
      • thediesel4

        9 years ago

        *face palm* AAARRRGEJPAIDoirnkgjmdc,

        To many Thompson’s to remember

        Reply
  2. chound

    9 years ago

    Grats Bud! You earned it (the second time around).

    Reply
  3. Connorsoxfan

    9 years ago

    For what?

    Reply
  4. Bob Smiley

    9 years ago

    De Jong?

    Reply
  5. bbritton209

    9 years ago

    Alex Wood lol

    Reply
  6. horrorluvr

    9 years ago

    Another worthless scrub, way to go Zaidi.

    Reply
    • Thronson5

      9 years ago

      Exactly @horrorluvr what a joke

      Reply
    • Jizz Chasholm

      9 years ago

      This worthless scrub might be the hottest pitcher in the league over the past couple months…

      Reply
    • staypuft

      9 years ago

      Yea, but not every GM is Dave Stewart.

      Reply
    • RunDMC

      9 years ago

      He’s almost as far as being a “worthless scrub” as being the “hottest pitcher in the league over the past couple of months” — it’s ok to be neither and still bring value to both sides.

      Reply
    • BlueSkyLA

      9 years ago

      Not worthless, just too little too late.

      Reply
    • ThatGuy 2

      9 years ago

      Yeah we would’ve been so much better off keeping Bud for 4 months. /sarcasm

      Reply
  7. brackett5

    9 years ago

    it has to be a pitcher going back that’s all they get in trades

    Reply
  8. sascoach2003

    9 years ago

    The Braves sure have cornered the market on pitching…

    Reply
    • RunDMC

      9 years ago

      ….and the sky is blue.

      Reply
  9. DVail79

    9 years ago

    welcome back to the Braves Caleb Dirks … not a bad haul with Pfeifer for Norris

    Reply
  10. mikeyst13

    9 years ago

    Actually a pretty good return for a guy nobody wanted to touch a couple months ago and is now getting value based off of a 5 start hot streak.

    Reply
  11. WAH1447

    9 years ago

    It’s a good thing we plan to use a pitcher at every position. When are we going to acquire an impact bat, we can have the best pitching in the world but if we can’t score a run it doesn’t matter

    Reply
    • Salionski

      9 years ago

      The Braves weren’t going to get an impact bat for Norris. The next impact bats the Braves acquire for their system will likely be acquired during their international spending (in a couple days).

      Reply
      • RunDMC

        9 years ago

        This is an interesting trade for ATL and LAD — particularly they’re getting cash and a PTBNL in addition to Dian Toscano who was bound to never live up to hype. I like we’re getting 2 high-upside arms, including (Dirks) whom we traded with Jordan Paroubeck in 2015.

        Reply
        • battle2heaven

          9 years ago

          HIgh upside arms? They are both relievers.

          Doesn’t seem like high upside to me.

          Reply
        • battle2heaven

          9 years ago

          2 high upside arms?

          Both pitchers are relievers. I don’t know how high the upside can be when they are relievers. But good spin I guess.

          Reply
        • Gogerty

          9 years ago

          With a bullpen that has been garbage outside of Viz, relievers are obviously necessary.

          Reply
        • myaccount

          9 years ago

          I don’t necessarily have the same optimism as Callis and Mayo, but Atlanta acquiring a potential set up man and a recent third round pick sounds like high upside given that it was the return for dealing a journeyman on a one-year deal and an overpaid organizational depth piece.

          Reply
    • bravesfan 7

      9 years ago

      Don’t be an idiot buddy

      Reply
    • hanks1hammer

      9 years ago

      Why are you in such a rush? If we acquired Trout and Machado we wouldn’t compete this year so let the Atlanta FO take its time and wait for the right situation.

      Reply
  12. algionfriddo

    9 years ago

    Any news on Brandon Beachy?

    Reply
    • BlueSkyLA

      9 years ago

      Nope. Still the missing man. Seems he is being allowed to draw a salary while effectively retired.

      Reply
      • Cam

        9 years ago

        Pretty incredible that any and all details about Beachy have been kept in-house. Surely, there should have been something leaked out by now.

        Or, people just stopped caring and moved on.

        Reply
        • BlueSkyLA

          9 years ago

          That too. I suspect without any proof or evidence that letting him collect these last paychecks was part of the unwritten deal between Beachy and the Dodgers.

          Reply
  13. pilandm

    9 years ago

    Dirks was actually the 15th round pick of the Braves not the Dodgers. Braves traded him to Dodgers last year for International Slot money.

    Reply
  14. krillin

    9 years ago

    I think the best part of this trade is finally getting rid of Toscano. That signing was a mistake

    Reply
    • petfoodfella

      9 years ago

      Agreed, I was really skeptical of that signing.

      Reply
    • Jon429

      9 years ago

      I wonder if dumping Toscano and the money he was owed before the International signing begins Saturday was the motivating factor behind this deal.

      Reply
      • bbritton209

        9 years ago

        No because the money he was owed has nothing to do with they money they will spend on the international draft. Besides, they sent cash to LAD so that offsets any savings they would have had.

        Reply
        • Jon429

          9 years ago

          How do you know? According to Dave O’Brien the Braves saved 4 million out of the 6 million owed to Toscano. What’s to say they wanted to apply that savings to someone like Kevin Maitan? I think it might have more to do with this than you think.

          Reply
  15. bbritton209

    9 years ago

    I’m not sure what to think about this. Dirks seems like he will be able to help in the BP relatively quickly, but that’s about all he is going to be. As for Pfeifer, from the one scouting report I have seen, he doesn’t seem like a “high upside” arm at all. He will end up as a bullpen piece, most likely as a lefty specialist.

    Getting rid of Dian Toscano isn’t a big deal other than getting the salary off the books. He wasn’t on the 40 man roster so it’s not like he was taking up room for someone else. I mean we don’t really have a lot of high profile outfielders in the minors.

    So in paper this trade doesn’t really help us, and if anything I think we undersold. I am not expecting anything spectacular in a trade for Norris but I think we could have done better.

    Maybe I’m wrong and if I am… I’ll eat crow

    Reply
    • Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

      9 years ago

      Well the braves are sort of eating a majority of the contract.

      Reply
  16. weekapaug09 2

    9 years ago

    I mean, alright. Norris served his purpose for the Braves. Glad he was able to rebuild some value after bombing to start the season. Best of luck out in LA, Bud.

    Reply
  17. Gogerty

    9 years ago

    Looks like a good trade for both sides. I like the dump of Toscano and the pitchers acquired could be useful with development.

    Now jut need Aybar to pick it up over the next two weeks. June had been a good month for him.

    Reply
  18. Ray Ray

    9 years ago

    I wonder if the PTBNL will be an international signing? Since the Dodgers are unable to sign anyone over 300K, couldn’t the Braves agree to sign someone for them and then send him as the PTBNL? Or is there a waiting period before those guys can be traded?

    Reply
    • HGehlken

      9 years ago

      I’m wondering if the player to be named later is Hector Olivera LOL

      Reply
    • noraj9

      9 years ago

      I don’t see the Braves wasting $300K of their int’l pool to help the Dodgers out when chances are it will be a low MiLB filler – especially after being linked to so many highly rated prospects.

      Reply
      • Ray Ray

        9 years ago

        That’s my point though. The Braves are already probably going to blow past their amount anyway, so what is an extra $500K signing for another in the grand scheme. Not that I am trying to give the Dodgers good ideas or anything, but it does seem like a way to get around the system.

        Reply
  19. Chris815

    9 years ago

    To all who think Tehran is not a ace . I have prove that show he is. You all into stats well I have prove that show he as good of like if hall of famers like Mathewson ,Spahn and ace like gray, Feliz Hernandez

    Reply
    • Gogerty

      9 years ago

      Seriously?

      Reply
    • krillin

      9 years ago

      Google translate is not working to well for you, huh?

      Reply
  20. ThatGuy 2

    9 years ago

    It’s kind of weird, the users that make the most suggestions are the same ones that don’t know the transaction rules…

    Reply
  21. jaybee

    9 years ago

    I hope that the Braves have fired whomever the scout was that recommended Toscano and Olivera. Two total disasters.

    As for Norris, I guess we got SOMETHING, but sooner or later the Braves will have to go after some position players, that are AA or AAA and producing. Unless the plan is to start Freeman plus 8 pitchers for the next few years.

    Reply
  22. kylewait89

    9 years ago

    Maybe his numbers are for real, it happens every year. However, it’s likely his numbers jump back up and the Dodgers are left wondering why they traded for him. Wouldn’t be shocked to see him not finish the season on the roster.

    Reply
  23. krillin

    9 years ago

    With as much bad luck as the Dodgers are having with injuries, he may be their #1 starter by season’s end, lol.

    Reply

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