Nationals acquire catcher Derek Norris from Padres

The Nationals made a trade heading into the Winter Meetings. No — not that trade. Derek Norris heads back to the team that drafted him.

The Washington Nationals have been working on a trade all week, and they finally pulled the trigger late Friday. Surprise! Derek Norris is heading back across the country from San Diego. The Nats’ pursuit of Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen will have to wait while the sides iron out which prospects will be involved.

Adding a catcher was a key to the offseason for the Nationals, with Wilson Ramos hitting the open market. Washington had been viewed as a potential landing spot for Baltimore Orioles All-Star catcher Matt Wieters. The acquisition of Norris, for Pedro Avila, a Single-A right-hander, gives the Nationals an everyday catcher at a fairly low price. Norris is expected to make around $4 million in arbitration this season.

Norris was originally drafted by the Nationals, before being traded to the Oakland A’s in the Gio Gonzalez deal in 2007. He made the AL All-Star team for the A’s in 2014 while slashing .270/.361/.403. In 2016, Norris had one of the worst offensive seasons in recent history for a catcher receiving consistent playing time.

Defensively, Norris is a mediocre defender. His arm is below average, and Norris threw out only 21 percent of runners last year. Where he is valuable behind the plate is in the pitch-framing department. Norris does has a reputation as one of the best pitch framers in the league, which is important to the Nationals and their staff full of aces.

With Norris in the fold, the Nationals will hope for a significant rebound offensively. Wieters or Ramos would have provided more with the bat, but at a greater long-term cost. Norris will keep the seat warm until Pedro Severino, the Nationals’ top catching prospect, is ready for a full season in the big leagues.

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The money saved at the catching position can ultimately be used to let the Nationals bring in McCutchen and re-sign closer Mark Melancon. Those two moves go much further towards making Washington a World Series contender than signing a high-profile catcher.