Norris confident in bounceback from "awful" 2016

Once he sensed the Padres were likely to trade him this winter, Derek Norris started thinking about potential destinations. One of them was Washington, a notion the 27-year-old catcher tried not to get too excited about, given the fact the Nationals had traded him away five years ago, that transaction coming 4 1/2 years after they originally drafted him.

But when the call actually came last week, that he was returning to the Nationals organization as their starting catcher, Norris couldn't help but feel sentimental.

"Given that it didn't seem a reality that I would actually be able to come back here," he said, "being a dream of mine drafted at 18, being able to live that, and being able to play in this ballpark as my home ballpark was obviously my first dream as a National. So to be able to live that, I'm really looking forward to doing that."

Acquired from San Diego for minor league pitcher Pedro Avila, Norris made his unofficial re-debut in a Nationals uniform today at Winterfest, sporting a No. 23 jersey and a red and blue curly W cap. And unlike the five seasons when he got to wear those only in spring training before being sent down to the minors, this time he'll be wearing them full-time as Washington's starting catcher.

Much has happened since then, both to Norris (who became an All-Star in Oakland in 2014, then struggled this season in San Diego) and to the Nationals (who since including the promising catcher in the blockbuster trade that brought Gio Gonzalez to D.C. have won three division titles and become one of the most successful franchises in baseball.

How much has changed since he last called the Nationals franchise home?

"A lot," Norris said. "A lot. A lot different. There's still some core guys here. But I think overall we're going to have a different type of team."

The Nationals will enter 2017 with aspirations not only of repeating as division champs but of advancing in the postseason for the first time after three first-round exits. And they'll be asking Norris to play a significant role in that process, counting on him to replace All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos, who this week signed a two-year contract with the Rays.

The club's exact catching plan - veteran backup Jose Lobaton remains under contract, while rookie Pedro Severino remains the team's acknowledged catcher of the future - remains to be seen. But the Nationals believe Norris can be their No. 1 guy behind the plate, banking on his rough season with the Padres - he hit .186 with a .583 OPS in 125 games - being an anomaly.

Norris, who didn't refrain from calling his 2016 offensive performance "awful," appreciates the trust the Nationals are putting in him to bounce back.

"I think they know what I'm capable of," he said. "I think they've seen me at my best, and I think they see last year as kind of like: 'Well, so what? Everybody has a bad year.' I think anyone who plays this game knows everyone has a down year. And hopefully that was mine. Lord, I hope that was mine. I'm looking to bounce back and have a really good year for this club."

When the Nationals selected him in the fourth round of the 2007 draft out of a Kansas high school, Norris was touted as more of an offensive catcher than a defensive one. He was known for working the count, with some pop in his bat, as well. Some evaluators questioned, though, whether he'd ever make it as a big league catcher, whether he'd need to switch either to first base or become a designated hitter.

Norris has worked hard to disprove that scouting report, improving his game-calling skills and his throws from behind the plate.

"When you don't do well offensively, you've got to do something to help your team win," he said. "And I think that's where I took the biggest strides with myself. I cleaned up a lot of things defensively, and I think ultimately I'm looking forward to having a year where I can have defensive and offensive, both be a force for the team."