JUNE 27: Norris has been released after clearing waivers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
JUNE 23: The Rays have designated catcher Derek Norris, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). He’ll make way for Wilson Ramos, who’ll be activated from the 60-day DL, while Jesus Sucre will continue on as the team’s reserve backstop.
Norris, 28, was added just before the start of the season after he was released by the Nationals — who had themselves acquired him early in the offseason when Ramos hit the open market. Ramos ended up signing an incentive-laden deal with the Rays, who knew he’d miss the bulk of the first half while completing the rehabilitation of a torn ACL.
While Norris helped bridge to Ramos, and ended his run with the Rays with a bang by hitting his ninth homer tonight, he had struggled at the plate. Largely matching a messy 2016 effort, Norris has managed only a .188/.242/.347 slash in his 198 plate appearances on the year. Still, he figures to draw plenty of interest elsewhere given his past success at the plate and excellent pitch-framing reputation.
The Rays are surely pleased to be getting Ramos back now. If he can provide anything like the production he carried last year — .307/.354/.496 with 22 home runs in 523 plate appearances — he’ll be quite a bargain. With Tampa Bay in fairly solid position to contend at least for a Wild Card, Ramos may deliver a significant boost in advance of the deadline.
Who would’ve thought the waiver claim would beat out the free agent with a much bigger name. Not often the Rays throw out the big name for a better player
What?
Trying to say that Norris was the bigger name lol when Ramos was the bigger name who happened to get hurt.
This makes no sense
He is saying why did the choose Plouffe over Norris.
waiver claim = Jesus Sucre
Trevor Plouffe isn’t becoming our backup catcher
Yes it does. He is saying even though Norris has a bigger name than Jesus Sucre, that the Rays are keeping he better player, in this case, Sucre
Sure. To one person.
Poorly worded, but it’s the Internet.
Are you kidding? It makes perfect sense if you know how to read and follow the Rays…
My point. Thank you
Thank you sir. Someone has a brain
Goes 3-3, with a HR and a 2B today, and is cut after the game.
That’s nothing special against Orioles pitching smh
That’s gratitude for ya. He might get picked up by another team.
They are also easily in contention for the division if you take a quick glance at the standings.
Yeah, that’d be giving Rays too much love. You’re forgetting they’re in the same division as the Yanks and Sox – thus no more oxygen left in the room for the lowly Rays! Welcome to St Pete Senor Buffalo…so excited to watch you mash on Price!
2.5 games back in the division, they can easily take first if the Yankees or red sox slump or the rays get hot
…they’re #2 in the wild card race behind the lesser of the yanks/sox
It’s another AL East playoff picture.
It’s about time. Norris has been horrendous at the plate this year other than the occasional home run. Anything he did well framing pitches was lost in all the pass balls and errors. Plus he can’t throw out my Grandma stealing second.
Now if we can just make a deal for a couple of relievers to shore up the bullpen. I’m not confident that getting Boxberger back is going to help much. Starting pitching and offense have been great so far, bullpen and defense not so much.
Need to pull a Marlins reliever along with hechavarria when we get him. Maybe a heavy price tag gets your bearclaw or Ramos.
Phelps makes sense player wise but is going to cost more then they would want money wise this year and next year. He’s the type of arm I’m sure they would love to have.
Norris has really just become a nothing so quickly. Beating up his partner (allegedly) doesn’t help, but his skills have eroded so quickly.
Joins Chris Carter as “famous players who got Designated for Assignment this week”
Wonder which one of them makes it back first?
9 HRS are nice. But Sucre has the better batting avg, been better behind the plate and has done well with RISP. I have seen Norris behind the plate enough to not be a fan of his overall play this season (avg at best)
Norris has a higher OBP, and since May 1, has been more than twice as productive as a hitter, with a wRC+ of 95 while Sucre has a wRC+ of 43. As far as defence, Norris has been one of the better pitch framers in the game, and that defensive skill is far more important than throwing out base runners.
No MLB player should be allowed to have a job with a .242 OBP – Norris is a AAAA player and has been all along. Let him go to Korea or something I dont want to pay money to watch him make outs ever again.
Norris has an OBP of .258; has a lifetime OBP of .301, and since May 1, has an OBP of .285 and a wRC+ of 95 with 8 homers in just 123 at-bats. Not great but much better than Jesus Sucre, whose OBP is .250 and whose lifetime OBP is .247.
Norris was actually a strong hitter for a catcher his first two full seasons despite playing home games in a terrible hitters park in Oakland, posting wRC+ of 114 and 123, while posting a close to average wRC+ the following year in San Diego, where he also had superior pitch framing numbers. While he struggled last year and this April, your ignorance of his successes doesn’t make it so.
The reality is that it is a “what have you done for me lately” league. Norris felt comfortable in Oakland. Some players can handle change, others cannot. I think Norris falls into the latter category. Perhaps some time overseas would help him regain confidence? I think ManRam is still playinf in Japan…
Who ever needs a catcher for cheap will pick him up
He was never a useful defensive catcher, once he stopped hitting and once he was accused of DV it was pretty much curtains for him. He’s only 28 but seems to be entering the journeyman part of his career.
Norris is done. Was never a well-liked player in the clubhouse or good defensive catcher or game caller and now that he has been so bad at the plate for 2 consecutive seasons, it’s doubtful that he gets a major league deal.
Good luck to Mike Norris’ son. I hope the A’s pick him up!
Ha ha…..maybe adopted son!
Could the Indians be a landing spot for Norris?
Cubs may need a backup after what Miggy said last night.
Isn’t that odd though? We all get tired of the boring cliche athlete interview, but then when someone says what he really thinks he gets excoriated. I think it was refreshing. Montero doesn’t have a great arm, true, but Arrieta wasn’t even trying to hold runners on.
He can room with Addison Russell
Padre fans thought this guy was great lol
I’m hoping the Dodgers can pick this guy up and pair his bat with Cody Bellinger
Can you say ‘Cubbies’?