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Phillies Sign Right-Hander Bud Norris to Minor-League Deal

By Matt Rappa

ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 19: St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Bud Norris (26) throws during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies May 19, 2018, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Tim Spyers/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 19: St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Bud Norris (26) throws during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies May 19, 2018, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Tim Spyers/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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As spring training nears, the Phillies have reportedly inked 10-year veteran right-handed pitcher Bud Norris to a minor-league contract.

Just hours after the report that the Philadelphia Phillies have signed former Washington Nationals closer RHP Drew Storen to a minor-league contract, the organization inked another right-hander with closing experience on Tuesday.

According to Robert Murray, the Phillies signed RHP Bud Norris to a minor-league deal. There is no word yet whether the contract includes an invitation to big-league camp.

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Norris, who will turn 35 on March 2, has pitched 10 years in the majors, most of which came in the National League. Most recently, he appeared in 64 relief appearances with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018, going 3-6 with a 3.59 ERA, 1.249 WHIP and 67-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio spanning 57 2/3 innings. Norris also notched 28 saves; a year prior in the American League, he collected 19.

Norris has also played for the Houston Astros (2009-13), Baltimore Orioles (2013-15), San Diego Padres (2015), Atlanta Braves (2016), Los Angeles Dodgers (2016), and Los Angeles Angels (2017). The Astros selected Norris in the sixth round of the 2006 draft out of California Polytechnic State University.

While Norris began his career as a starter, highlighted with his 15-8, 3.65 ERA season as an Oriole in 2014, he has since been used mostly in a late-inning relief role. He sat out all of last season due to a forearm injury at the Toronto Blue Jays spring training camp in March.

Norris appeared in the Division and Championship series with the Orioles in 2014, combining for a 3.38 ERA spanning two appearances and 10 2/3 innings.

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The Phillies’ signing of the Greenbrae, California, native comes a little more than one week since he held a workout at Rice University. Overall in his career thus far, Norris has gone 67-90 with a 4.45 ERA, 1.396 WHIP and 1,153-485 strikeout-to-walk ratio spanning 1,221 1/3 innings.

Joining Norris and Storen as minor-league spring invitee right-handed pitchers include Connor Brogdon, Spencer Howard, Ramon Rosso, and Addison Russ.

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