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Padres trade for All-Star Norris

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Continuing a furious and unprecedented day of action, the Padres, after officially confirming their acquisition of Matt Kemp, announced a second trade Thursday evening.

This one came as a surprise, though by now that seems to be General Manager A.J. Preller’s expertise. The Padres dealt promising right-handers Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alvarez to the A’s in exchange for catcher Derek Norris, right-hander Seth Streich and an international signing slot.

Norris, 25, will be the Padres’ primary catcher. A first-time All-Star in 2014, he hit .270 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs in 385 at-bats. Among American League catchers, he ranked second in batting average and on-base percentage (.361) and third in slugging percentage (.411).

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Over parts of three seasons, all with Oakland, Norris is a career .246 hitter with 26 home runs and 119 RBIs in 285 games.

Thus, Preller has immediately replenished the Padres’ talent behind the plate after trading Yasmani Grandal in the Kemp deal and agreeing to trade Rene Rivera to the Rays in a three-team deal for outfielder Wil Myers. The latter deal is expected to be announced Friday.

While backup catcher Tim Federowicz comes to the Padres with Kemp -- and veteran backstop Ryan Hanigan with Myers -- Norris’ addition indicates the Padres are open to again dealing from their catching ranks, which include top prospect Austin Hedges.

Norris appears to be a long-term fit. Originally a fourth-round draft choice by the Nationals in 2007, the right-handed hitter is under club control through the 2018 season.

Streich, 23, went 9-6 last season with a 3.16 ERA for the A’s high Single-A affiliate. He recorded 116 strikeouts in 114 innings. Drafted by Oakland in the sixth round in 2012, he could eventually develop into a back-end starter.

Hahn, 25, was one of the pleasant surprises of the Padres’ 2014 season. Acquired from Tampa Bay, the starter went 7-4 with a 3.07 ERA, striking out 70 in 73 1/3 innings. Had the Padres retained him, he would have competed for a spot in the rotation.

Alvarez, 23, was acquired in July in the trade that sent closer Huston Street to the Angels. With a 1.13 ERA over eight innings of a September call-up, Alvarez had the look of a future late-innings option.

Johnson agrees to deal

A day after the Padres signed right-hander Brandon Morrow one-year, incentive-laden, they reached a similar agreement with Josh Johnson, another righty with an extensive injury history.

The one-year deal in place would guarantee Johnson “close to $1 million,” a source said. Based on starts, incentives could raise the deal to between $7 and $8 million.

Johnson, a 30-year-old former All-Star, signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Padres last winter but underwent Tommy John surgery in April and missed the entire season. The Padres declined his $4 million club option after the season, but both sides had expressed interest in a reunion on a lesser deal.

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