(Feb. 24, 2011 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Derek Norris has some big shoes to fill behind the plate after All-Star Wilson Ramos signed with Tampa Bay to play in the American League. The 27-year-old catcher is familiar with the Nationals organization, having been drafted by them in 2007, but he never made it to the big leagues in D.C. Instead, he bounced around on the West Coast for five years, spending three years in Oakland and two more in San Diego before being traded back to the Nats, who sent Pedro Avila to the Padres. Wilson Ramos provided much needed offense for Washington last season, picking up the slack from struggling players like Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman, and his offensive production will surely be missed. That being said, while Norris has struggled on offense, he could still be a good replacement for Ramos.
In five big league seasons, Norris has a .233 AVG and a .689 OPS. While he has hit 14 home runs in both of the previous two seasons, Norris has seen his offensive production dip in the past few years. Last year, he batted only .186, and had a meager .255 OBP while putting up only 55 wRC+ (100 being league average and 60 according to FanGraphs is “Awful”) and slugging .328. Last year, he was worth a career worst -0.4 fWAR after averaging 2.4 fWAR in the previous three seasons. Continue reading
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