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So far during the offseason, the Braves have expressed an interest in bolstering the rotation with a bit of veteran experience. One player who fits the bill of "veteran starting pitcher" is Bud Norris, and the Braves officially signed Norris to a one-year deal that's reportedly worth $2.5 MM.
#Braves agree to terms with right-handed starting pitcher Bud Norris on a one-year Major League contract for the 2016 season.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) November 25, 2015
Norris will be 31 by the time the 2016 season rolls around, and he's coming off of a pretty rough 2015 season in which he bounced between two teams -- the Baltimore Orioles and the San Diego Padres. He ultimately finished the 2015 season with a 6.72 ERA and a 5.04 FIP. Obviously, the hope here is that 2015 is an aberration, especially when you consider that he missed a month of the campaign due to bronchitis and was eventually released.
It'd be safe to assume that the Braves are giving Norris this contract with the hope that he'll look more like the version that we saw in Baltimore and for the Houston Astros, which is where he served the role of being a serviceable middle-of-the-rotation guy. As long as that particular version of Bud Norris shows up to Atlanta, then this should definitely end up being a pretty solid signing for the Braves. Plus, this move does help the Braves achieve one of their offseason goals of adding some veteran help to the rotation.
It's not a spectacular move, but it should be a useful move for both parties involved if all goes well.