Jonathan Lucroy
Now 30 years old, Lucroy has established himself as one of the premier offensive catchers in the NL, and is enjoying a terrific first half of the season. Slashing .312/.370/.540 with nine homers and 28 RBIs, the veteran signal caller figures to be one of the most sought-after trade pieces at this year’s deadline.
Perhaps making the former all-star even more attractive is his contract situation. Lucroy is making just $4 million this season and has a team option in 2017 for $5.25 million. That’s a bargain for a player that led the National League in bWAR just two seasons ago and has amassed 2.1 bWAR through the first two months of 2016.
Just a couple of weeks ago, there was a report that he was nearly shipped out of Wisconsin in a three-team deal, so it seems more a question of when and where than if.
Lucroy is in his prime right now, and that means that he’s probably not going to fit with the Brewers’ contention timeline. He’s productive and his contract is a bargain for another season after this one. It’s been awhile since a big trade centered around a catcher, but that should change at the deadline this year.
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