Six years to the day after Daniel Norris joined the Tigers at the Trade Deadline, the left-hander bid farewell to Detroit. The Tigers traded Norris on Friday afternoon to the Brewers for Minor League right-hander Reese Olson.
The deal ends an injury-riddled but memorable Tigers tenure for Norris, whose career in Detroit took him from promising young starter to mercurial but veteran lefty reliever. In the end, he was a valuable, versatile pitcher whose off-field persona — from surfer to traveler– overshadowed an intense competitor and better teammate who battled through injuries to become a contributor again and now gets a chance to win.
Norris posted a 1-3 record and 5.89 ERA in 38 games, allowing 38 hits over 36 2/3 innings with 15 walks and 40 strikeouts. His last month, however, saw a turnaround, with 8 1/3 innings of three-hit, three-run ball and nine strikeouts. Opponents batted .107 with a .301 OPS against him in July.
The 21-year-old Olson started 14 games for High-A Wisconsin, posting a 5-4 record with a 4.30 ERA and 79 strikeouts over 69 innings. He was a 13th-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.