The Milwaukee Brewers announced a five-year extension with catcher Jonathan Lucroy yesterday. According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Lucroy’s deal will be worth more than $11 million.
Rosenthal added that the exact numbers of the Brewers agreement with Lucroy will vary depending upon whether the backstop reaches Super Two status. Regardless of whether or not Lucroy hits this mark, his new deal will cover his arbitration years.
2011 was Lucroy’s first season as the Brewers primary catcher. The 25-year-old started 114 games behind the plate while maintaining a batting line of .265/.313/.391. Lucroy tallied 29 extra base hits, 59 RBI’s and 45 runs scored for Milwaukee.
While these are certainly adequate numbers from the catcher position, Milwaukee and its fans are hoping Lucroy develops the bat he showcased during his time in the minor leagues. Over his five seasons on the Brewers farm, Lucroy hit at a clip of .298/.379/.459.
But, according to Jack Moore of Fangraphs, anything more Lucroy provides at the plate “will be gravy”. Moore equates Lucroy’s ability to get umpires to call strikes to the impact of an All-Star level bat.
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