Orioles release Bud Norris (Chris Parmelee clears waivers)

Unable to work out a trade, the Orioles have released pitcher Bud Norris. He's now free to sign with any club.

Norris was designated for assignment on July 31 leading to the non-waiver trade deadline.

Norris lost his spot in the rotation and didn't get on track as a reliever, finishing with a 2-9 record, 7.06 ERA and 1.643 WHIP in 18 games, including 11 starts. It was a disappointing transition from the 2014 season, when Norris set a career high with 15 wins and posted a career-low 3.65 ERA over 28 starts. He also won Game 3 of the American League Division Series in Detroit to send the Orioles to the ALCS.

The Orioles are paying Norris $8.8 million this season in the final year of his contract.

During a recent interview with MASNsports.com, Norris said that he looked "way too much into distractions this year and they were eating at me." He had bronchitis earlier in the season, which forced him onto the disabled list, and his pending free agency brought additional stress as he continued to struggle.

"I was looking too much on the business side and I never got back to being me," he said after being designated for assignment. "It's a hard pill to swallow. It's something in my career that I'll learn from, but I wish my teammates the best of luck in the months coming forward."

Meanwhile, outfielder/first baseman Chris Parmelee has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, according to a team official. Parmelee, designated for assignment on July 31 to make room for outfielder Gerardo Parra, can refuse the assignment and become a free agent.