A's Trade All-Star Catcher Derek Norris To Padres
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer
The revamping Oakland Athletics made yet another trade of a star player this offseason, sending catcher Derek Norris and minor league right-hander Seth Streich to the San Diego Padres on Thursday night for righties Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alvarez along with an international signing bonus slot.
San Diego's been busy, too. At about the same time they wrapped up the deal with the A's, the Padres finalized a trade to acquire outfielder Matt Kemp from the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Norris, a 25-year-old All-Star, batted .270 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs in 127 games for the A's, who lost 9-8 in the wild-card game at Kansas City. Oakland had depth at catcher, with capable backstops John Jaso and Stephen Vogt still on the roster despite both dealing with injuries last season. Jaso ended the year out with a concussion for the second straight season.
A's general manager Billy Beane made his second trade of the day, while San Diego has several pending swaps. On Wednesday, the Padres acquired outfielder Wil Myers from Tampa Bay. San Diego sends catcher Yasmani Grandal and two pitchers to the Dodgers in the deal for Kemp and catcher Tim Federowicz.
The New York Daily News first reported Norris was headed to the Padres.
Alvarez, 23, was 0-0 with a 1.13 ERA in 10 appearances for the Padres last season.
Earlier Thursday, the A's acquired left-hander Eury De La Rosa from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash.
The 25-year-old Hahn went 7-4 with a 3.07 ERA in 14 outings and 12 starts over 73 1-3 innings while spending the final four months in the big leagues.
Hahn, who's 6-foot-5 and made his major league debut on June 3, could fit into an Oakland rotation that lost both Jon Lester and Jason Hammel in free agency to the Chicago Cubs while Oakland traded Jeff Samardzija to the White Sox.
Of Oakland's seven All-Stars last season, only two are left - reliever Sean Doolittle and starter Scott Kazmir. Third baseman Josh Donaldson was traded to Toronto last month, then first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss to Cleveland earlier this month. Two-time Home Run Derby champion Yoenis Cespedes was dealt to Boston at the trade deadline for Lester. Then, last week, the slugging outfielder Cespedes was traded by the Red Sox to the Detroit Tigers.
Beane has said big changes were needed for the A's to contend again in an AL West division that the Angels won by 10 games ahead of the A's, the West winner in 2012 and '13.
The 23-year-old Streich went 3-2 with a 2.84 ERA in 50 2-3 innings for Class-A Stockton.
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