Back in early December, the Padres exchanged catcher Daniel Norris to the Nations for pitching prospect Pedro Avila. At the time, Avila ranked as the Nationals twenty-third best ranked prospect in their minor-league system. In thirty-four minor league appearances, Avila averaged almost 10.60 strikeouts per nine innings. Although the sample size is relatively miniscule, Avila shows plenty of potential for a Padres organization looking to add youth depth at the pitching level.

In addition to acquiring a young talented arm, trading Norris to Washington makes room for Austin Hedges to assume full-time catching duties come spring training in February. In 2016, Hedges batted .326 with 26 bombs for the Padres Triple-A minor league affiliate. Hedges has already garnered a reputation as a solid defender and perhaps one of the best defensive catchers in the minors.

For Daniel Norris, a change in scenery might assist in what was a lost year for the veteran backstop. Norris only batted .186 was never able to establish a groove during the 2016 campaign. Norris will join a loaded Nationals ballclub looking to expand on their ambitions of winning a championship.

Avila will still need seasoning in the minors before getting the call to the big-league club. His current peripheral numbers indicated he will be a strikeout artist, which is something the Padres desperately need from starters at the big-league level. Avila is likely to open 2017 in the low minors but may excel quickly and could reach Triple-A before the season concludes.

Immediately, Padres fans will pay special attention to Austin Hedges in spring training to see if he can handle the rigors of everyday catching duties at the major-league level. With little competition expected in camp, Hedges would have to perform terribly to lose the starting catching role. Hedges makes for an excellent early season watch for baseball fans in 2017.