TODAY: The team is evaluating the results of an MRI that Norris underwent today, Ghiroli tweets. If it comes back clean, the agreement will go into effect; otherwise, the club will potentially reconsider.
YESTERDAY, 3:52pm: Nationals GM Mike Rizzo tells reporters that there’s no agreement between the two sides, but Norris is headed to the team’s spring complex to evaluate him (Twitter link via Zuckerman). If the team deems him physically ready, a minor league agreement will be completed.
3:32pm: There’s no agreement in place between the two sides just yet, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post tweets. There’s mutual interest between the two sides, but Dougherty notes that the Nats “need to be convinced that Norris is healthy enough to be effective.”
Norris and the Jays agreed to part ways last week due to the fact that he felt ready to pitch at the MLB level while the Toronto organization wanted him to continue building arm strength, so perhaps there’s a similar dynamic at play here.
2:23pm: The Nationals have agreed to a deal with right-hander Bud Norris, according to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic (via Twitter). It’ll be a minors pact if completed, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets. Norris will first need to pass a physical before a deal is finalized.
Norris will not head directly onto the active roster, but may not be far from joining a team that’s badly in need of relief. The Nats bullpen has been a mess in the early going, with all but two members of the unit carrying earned run averages north of 5 per nine.
The veteran Norris could offer a key stabilizing presence. The 34-year-old has been a solid performer since moving into a full-time relief role. Over the past two seasons, he owns a 3.91 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 over 119 2/3 innings. Norris has compiled 47 saves in that span as well, though he won’t be expected to handle the ninth in D.C.
Norris had been expected to crack the Blue Jays pen after surprisingly settling for a minor-league deal. The Toronto org paid him a $100K retention bonus late in camp to keep him around, but ultimately released him right at the start of the season. It seems that Norris believed he was ready for the majors, while the club wanted him to keep throwing in extended camp to build his arm strength.
It’s not known how the Nats feel about the matter of Norris’s readiness. He has worked in the mid-nineties with his fastball in recent years. Like most pitchers, Norris is likelier to be successful if he has the velocity when he wants it. But the D.C. org is also in no position to turn up its nose at an experienced pitcher who isn’t quite on top of his game. Presumably, they’ll bring him onto the active roster in relatively short order so long as Norris seems mostly himself.
Let’s throw everything but Kimberl at the wall and see what sticks?
I think that takes them out of the Kimbrel runnings. Kimbrel makes any team a lot better.
I can’t believe Norris is getting a minor league deal! A very solid back-end reliever who will stabilize this bullpen
I’m not so sure. Weak 2nd half and no spring training….
Kimbrel definitely improves any team, but how many 15-20 million guys can they have? top three SP AAV is 80mil. Rendon & Zim 18 each. I think they’ll want to resign Rendon, and Turner & Soto at least. At this point anyone signing him will probably wait til the draft.
Struggles against same sided hitters should work great in the NL East.
Budget minded move, but an understandable roll of the dice.
One of the best relievers of the past decade is available…but hey, we dont dont him.”
Think about it… Rosenthal – 1 year $7m. Barraclough – 1 year $1.725m. Tony Sipp 1 year $1.5m with buyout from a $2.5m contract. Jeremy Hellickson- 1 year $1.3m. Brian Dozier – 1 year $9m. We really didn’t need a 2nd baseman. We had Difo and Kendricks with Kieboom pretty much ready along with Garcia to be called up. We have never EVER had a solid Bullpen since becoming the Washington Nationals and our bullpen has lost us EVERY playoff opportunity we have had in years past. I mean we have Never had a WAR over 2 or even close. Kimbrel and Doolittle will make that stat a reality.
I can add up each of the players listed above and all of them combined DO NOT represent the same talent that Kimbrel could bring to the Nationals bullpen and team. Lol. Now they want to add another flyer to the mix of washed up relievers who’ve combined to make up the worst ERA in the league??? Why? The Nationals missed their chance of trading Tanner Roark to the Reds for Aroldis Chapman in 2014 when we should had become World Series Champions. I just cant believe that they won’t pick up a sure relief option at this time. They obviously dont want to do what it takes to win in 2019. There bullpen is awful!
Craig Kimbrel wasn’t in position to take a one year 15-16MM deal when the nationals made those moves. All those guys you listed are one year guys so that’s what you’re comparing.
I’m interested to see how this turns out. Another guy that Matheny abused and chewed up, so we will see how we recovers. He’s been dealing with arm fatigue since late last year, so definitely a gamble.
Has there ever been a cooler name than Bud Norris? If there has, I don’t want to know about it.
Dick lovelady
shhhhh. He didn’t want to know.
;)
He’s already better than Joe Kelly.
I loved Kelly at the postseason but during the yr he was horrible, that’s why the Redsox didn’t make a good overture towards him.
47 saves the last 2 seasons and couldn’t get a spot til April 9th… plus Keuchel & Kimbrel… owners not prioritizing winning are a complete joke.
EVERYbody’s prioritizing winning. Often times (more often than not, probably), NOT signing the Kimbrel’s of the world leads to MORE winning over the long haul.
Nope… teams having holes in their rotations starting off the season and Boston still not having a closer among other teams with BP holes… that’s not prioritizing winning.
so, if it’s not winning, what ARE Boston’s priorities?
Boston is paying out around $223M in salary this season. You believe that doesn’t represent a desire to win? Geez, can’t imagine what you’d think if you rooted for a team like the Rangers.
Sure they would *like* to win but going into the season without a proven closer that is among the best around who was a big part of winning the WS is not *prioritizing* winning.
Going into the season without a proven CP let alone he who is among the best around that was a big part of winning a WS is not *prioritizing* winning. And that has nothing to do with Texas or any other team in mlb.
Which part of Craig Kimbrel’s 5.40 ERA helped win them the WS? Maybe the fact that a starter was brought in to do his job when a win was really needed makes you want to spend that money?
The part where he save 42 games to get thereplus more than half of their playoff wins as there’s a much more than likely chance they do not have anyone remotely close as talented to even save those games and beat out a 100 win WC team.
Their bullpen has been the only bright light, but they will prolly tank in July.
Bud Norris built the hospital that he was born in.
Bud Norris can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.
An umpire once tried to eject Bud Norris from a game. Bud let him off with a warning.