A's option Norris to make room for Kottaras

Share

OAKLAND -- The A's have added catcher George Kottaras to their roster and optioned rookie catcher Derek Norris to Triple-A Sacramento. Kurt Suzuki is in the starting lineup and catching A.J. Griffin.With the addition of the left-handed hitting Kottaras, the A's had to ship out one of their two right-handed hitting catchers. They chose to send Norris to Sacramento, keeping Suzuki with the club.Suzuki draws rave reviews from the A's pitching staff and is one of the hardest working players in the game. The A's are succeeding this season with an American League-leading 3.44 ERA, and clubhouse chemistry. Keeping Suzuki around helps keep both intact. Norris played in 21 games with the A's since being called up on June 21. Since Norris joined the team he started 20 games to Suzuki's 13 starts. The rookie catcher was being given a larger share of playing time than the veteran, which made it appear that Suzuki's days could soon be numbered as the A's ushered in new blood at starting catcher. That doesn't appear to the case at this point.Norris batted .195 with three homers, 11 RBIs and a surprising three stolen bases in his time with Oakland. He gained a lot of valuable information on the A's starting pitchers and how to handle himself at the big league level. He likely won't be down for long. Rosters expand on September 1. Kottaras, 29, was acquired via trade in exchange for reliever Fautino De Los Santos. Kottaras was designated for assignment by the Brewers this week. He is batting .209 with 29 walks and three home runs for the Brewers this season. He is exactly the type of hitter the A's usually covet. He owns a career 13.8 walk percentage and has a .409 on-base percentage this season.

Contact Us