Norris: Tigers didn't ask me about domestic violence suspension before signing
Veteran catcher Derek Norris, who joined the Detroit Tigers on a minor-league contract this offseason following his completion of a suspension for violating MLB's joint domestic violence policy, says the team never asked him about the suspension or the incident that led to it during their negotiations.
"Like I said, just baseball," Norris told reporters Wednesday when asked about what was discussed before the signing, according to Katie Strang of The Athletic. "They just asked me, with having the time off, if I'm ready to go."
Last June, Kristen Eck, Norris' ex-fiancee, wrote in a blog post that Norris grabbed her by the hair and put her in a chokehold during a 2015 incident. No criminal charges were filed against him, but MLB immediately opened an internal investigation, suspending Norris for the balance of the 2017 season on Sept. 1 and fining him $100,000. He was a free agent at the time of the suspension, as the Tampa Bay Rays released him in June.
Norris has denied assaulting Eck but didn't appeal his suspension.
The Tigers defended their handling of the signing. Assistant general manager David Chadd - who knows Norris and his family and reportedly helped negotiate the deal, according to Strang - claims they did speak with the league before bringing Norris into the organization.
"We did our due diligence," Chadd told Chris McCosky of the Detroit News on Wednesday. "We talked to the powers that be (MLB Commissioner's Office) and to the people who had the information and who talked to all the parties involved. Derek did the suspension. He did the counseling.
"Listen, this isn't something we condone. I have two daughters and a wife of 30 years. Don't portray me as somebody who is insensitive to this. I'm very sensitive. But we vetted all the information we could get from the Commissioner's Office and they were on board with us signing him."
Related - Tigers GM stands by Derek Norris signing: He's 'a good kid'
MLB spokesperson Pat Courtney confirmed to Strang that Norris "was cleared (by the league) to sign with any club" before he joined Detroit.
Norris, who turned 29 on Wednesday, played in just 53 games for the Rays last season before his release.