Derek

Norris

Norris was acquired this offseason from the Nationals in the five-player Gio Gonzalez trade. The 23-year-old backstop has a bright future and should be ready to make his big league debut at some point this summer.

A 22-year-old former fourth-round pick, Norris has registered a .403 on-base percentage and an .861 OPS in parts of five minor league seasons. He hasn’t made it past Double-A, but the Kansas native projects as a regular major league catcher with the potential for strong offensive output. He slugged 20 home runs in 104 games at Double-A Harrisburg during the 2011 season.

Norris, 22, turned in a disappointing .210 batting average this season to go along with 20 homers, 46 RBI and an .813 OPS over 423 plate appearances. His stock has slipped over the past year and with Wilson Ramos looking like the clear No. 1 catcher at the major league level, he may eventually end up as trade bait.

Norris was just sent down to the minors on July 30, so he isn’t eligible to return for a few more days, but the A’s could get him up earlier if Seth Smith (hamstring) requires a stint on the disabled list. The 21-year-old backstop batted just .195/.262/.325 over 21 games in his first taste of the big leagues, but he has plenty of power potential. The recently-acquired George Kottaras will serve as his backup.

Norris was just sent down to the minors on Monday, but he was eligible to return after Seth Smith (hamstring) was placed on the disabled list. The 21-year-old backstop batted just .195/.262/.325 over 84 plate appearances during his first stint in the big leagues, but he’s expected to be the everyday catcher down the stretch. With his pop and patience, he’s a must-own in AL-only formats and could even be worth a look in deeper formats that use two catchers.

George Kottaras should also see plenty of playing time, but Norris is the team’s future at catcher, and they’ve decided to roll with him now. The 23-year-old is batting just .195/.262/.325 over 21 games with the A’s this season but has hit three homers and has above-average pop for a catcher. He should be owned in deeper mixed formats.

With the A’s down to their final out and trailing 2-1, Norris ripped a Casilla pitch to deep left. Norris is now 3-for-12 since being summoned from Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. Scuttling a bit on the farm before his recall, Norris is unlikely to make much of an impact in mixed leagues as a rookie.

Norris has posted a .273/.331/.474 batting line with eight home runs and 36 RBI in 236 plate appearances this season at the Triple-A level. Acquired from the Nationals in December’s Gio Gonzalez trade, the 23-year-old former fourth-round pick is widely regarded as one of the top catching prospects in baseball. With Kurt Suzuki struggling mightily, Norris should see semi-regular playing time behind the plate in Oakland.

Suzuki is batting just .215/.256/.268 with zero home runs and only 16 RBI in 60 games this season for third-place Oakland. Norris -- regarded as one of the top catching prospects in baseball -- was promoted from Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday morning and is in the A’s starting lineup Thursday afternoon vs. the Dodgers.

The two-run shot off Brett Cecil in the second inning was his only hit in four trips to the plate. He was thrown into the fire as Oakland’s everyday catcher on June 21 and has struggled mightily to gain traction in that role. In his first 18 games, he’s hitting just .188 with three homers and nine RBI. While he obviously possesses strong offensive potential, the 23-year-old backstop may be better served getting more seasoning at Triple-A.