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The Dodgers have acquired right-hander Bud Norris, outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named later and cash from the Braves in exchange for minor-league pitchers Phillip Pfeifer and Caleb Dirks, in a deal first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post and Robert Murray of FanRag Sports both added details.
Norris, 31, will provide immediate starting depth for a Dodgers’ rotation that has dealt with injuries to Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy, Alex Wood and Brett Anderson so far this season. He has posted a 2.15 ERA over his last five starts, becoming a viable trade chip for a rebuilding Atlanta squad.
In total, Norris has made 22 appearances (10 starts) for Atlanta this year, posting a 4.22 ERA while showing significant improvement in recent weeks. He signed a 1-year, $2.5 million deal with the Braves before the season, meaning he is only controllable through the end of the season.
Norris is a veteran of 8 seasons with four different clubs, owning a 4.43 ERA in 218 appearances (176 starts).
Toscano, 27, is a Cuban outfielder who signed a 4-year, $6 million deal with the Braves in December 2014 but has struggled mightily in his first taste of stateside play. Toscano has hit .226/.310/.271 in 58 games for Double-A Mississippi so far this year, so his inclusion in the deal is considered a bit of a salary dump.
Pfeiffer, 23, was the Dodgers’ 3rd-round pick in last year’s draft out of Vanderbilt and has posted a 2.97 ERA as a reliever in 17 appearances split between Single-A Great Lakes and High-A Rancho Cucamonga so far this season. He was not ranked by MLB.com as one of the team’s top 30 prospects at the time of the deal.
Dirks, 23, was originally drafted by Atlanta in the 15th round of the 2014 draft before being traded to the Dodgers for an international bonus slot last July. The reliever has posted a stellar 1.44 ERA in 28 appearances with Double-A Tulsa this season, and is ranked as the team’s 30th-best prospect by MLB.com.