Braves sign Bud Norris to 1-year, $2.5 million deal

The Atlanta Braves have signed free agent pitcher Bud Norris to a one-year deal, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports:

bud norris gets $2.5M on 1-year braves deal

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) November 25, 2015

According to Heyman, Norris' deal is worth $2.5 million for 2016 as the Braves add a veteran to a young pitching staff.

Norris struggled in 2015, a season he spent with both the Orioles and Padres. He made 38 appearances, 11 of them starts, posting a 6.72 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 83 innings. All 11 of his starts and the majority of his innings came with the Orioles, for whom he had a 7.02 ERA. Baltimore released Norris on August 8 and he was picked up by the Padres three days later. He then made 20 relief appearances with San Diego, with a 5.40 ERA in 16⅔ innings.

There was not much of a split for Norris as to whether he was a starter or reliever last season, he had a 6.79 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 55⅔ innings as a starter and a 6.59 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 27⅓ innings as a reliever.

It appears likely that Atlanta will use Norris as a reliever, given the number of options they have in their rotation. Shelby Miller, Julio Teheran and Mike Minor would seem to have rotation spots locked up with Mike Foltynewicz, Manny Banuelos and Matt Wisler among those fighting for the final two places in Atlanta's rotation, though Norris could be in that mix as well and win a rotation spot in Spring Training.

One thing Norris will bring to the Braves staff is experience, as only one of the rotation options mentioned above is older than 25 and that is 28-year-old Minor. Norris, meanwhile, will be looking for a bounce back year with Atlanta and a more lucrative contract going into 2017.