Padres manager Andy Green has already slotted Tyson Ross, James Shields and Andrew Cashner at the top of his starting rotation. Early returns would indicate he made the right decision.
“All three looked great,” said catcher Derek Norris, who caught all three starters on the first day of camp. Norris played quite a bit with all of them a year ago. Deno is not one to pull any punches when giving feedback, so his glowing review is quite encouraging.
“Tyson and Andrew, I went up to them and said I got nothing to say, which doesn’t happen very often, as many of these guys can probably tell you. They were excellent. They look like they put in a lot of work in the off-season. They look fit. They look strong.”
The guys on the bump aren’t the only ones who put themselves through a rigorous off-season. Norris also changed his training regimen to prepare for his 5th big league season, putting more of a focus on injury prevention.
“All the work I put in this off-season, so far it’s paying off,” said Norris. “I feel a lot better right now in Spring than I did last year coming in to Spring. I’m stronger. My weight’s down a little bit, too, so that’s a good combination for me. I’ll be able to stay lighter and more healthy throughout the year.”
Norris appeared in 128 games behind the plate in 2015 and it appears the grind (and a few nagging ailments) took its toll. Norris saw his batting average and on-base percentage improve dramatically after the All-Star break but his power numbers dropped in the second half of the season.
Norris spent a fair share of time at 1st base late in the season but he sees himself primarily as a catcher, so he’s doing all he can to get his body ready for the demands of the most physically taxing position in the game while at the same time getting to know his pitching staff.
Unlike last year, when he had to learn about every single pitcher on the roster, in 2016 Norris already has a relationship with most of the arms. Now he’s spending time trying to cater to the fresh faces in a new place.
“A majority of these guys are coming back from last year,” said Norris. “For me just getting to know some of these Rule V guys we picked up over the winter, some guys via free agency or wherever we got them, just getting a good game plan together and getting with Andy (Green) and figure out which one of these guys is going to help the team the most on Day 1.”
Green will likely consult Norris and fellow returning catcher Austin Hedges on who should earn the 4th and 5th starting spots in the Padres rotation.
Trade rumors have been swirling around Norris for weeks and with General Manager A.J. Preller anything could possibly happen. But for as long as the Padres have Derek Norris, be it another five days or another five years, it looks like they’ll be getting the best version of Derek Norris anyone has seen yet.
