As the non-waiver trade deadline approached today, it looked as though the Orioles were going to stand pat. Instead, things ramped up quickly in the three o’clock hour, with rumors flying that the Birds were closing in on Houston starting pitcher Bud Norris.
In the end, the O’s did indeed acquire Norris from Houston, trading away outfielder L.J. Hoes, who was just called up over the weekend, along with minor league pitcher Josh Hader (Old Mill), a 2012 19th-round draft pick. The teams also swapped a couple 2014 draft picks.
Norris, 28, is 6-9 with a 3.93 ERA in 21 starts for the MLB-worst Astros this year.
For his career, the righty has a 4.33 ERA in 118 starts. His WHIP, both this year and for his career, is 1.4. He’s under team control through 2015 – that’s the good news.
The bad news is that, over the past two seasons, Norris has a 6.62 ERA when he pitches anywhere but Minute Maid Park. He also has a 6.31 ERA in open-air stadiums this season.
The O’s also just announced that they’ve sent Jason Hammel to the DL with a flexor mass injury, so Norris will obviously take Hammel’s spot in the rotation. It remains to be seen whether or not Norris will represent a significant upgrade to the struggling Hammel, but the hope here is that joining a contending team is just what ol’ Bud needs to really start living up to his “Bud the Stud” nickname.
