Milwaukee Brewers: Five teams that could trade for Jonathan Lucroy
It seems that marriage between the Milwaukee Brewers and Jonathan Lucroy is quickly coming to an end, and come August 1, Lucroy could be playing for a new team.
It’s becoming clear that there will be a new catcher for the Brewers by the end of the season with All-Star Jonathan Lucroy wanting out. Jon Heyman reported to todaysknuckleball.com that he is ready to move on. The piece showed the sense of urgency that Lucroy has in wanting to move on from Milwaukee if they could not win.
“I want to be competitive. I want to be on a team that is playing for a championship,” said Lucroy. “If that’s the Brewers, great. If not, not. It’s a tough situation.”
Unfortunately for both parties, it seems like it will be a tough situation. Milwaukee currently sits in fourth place in the NL Central with a 38-49 record. The 2016 Brewers are a bunch of junk-yard players that have been put together to simply get through a rebuilding phase. The only notable stars are Lucroy and a proven steroid user who’s having a bounce back season. Not to mention, Lucroy has made it known that there are no ongoing contract extension talks with his current team.
Jonathan Lucroy said today that there are no ongoing extension talks with the Brewers.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) July 11, 2016
It’s clear that in one of the toughest divisions in the MLB, the Brewers will not be competing for the playoffs this year or for the next few years to come. They should be in the mindset of trading their All-Stars in return for some prospects that can help grow their 10th best farm system according to Baseball Prospectus.
Lucroy is an extremely attractive player to many teams in need. One, he is the best catcher available on the market. Two, he has a very friendly contract, he’s making just over $4 million this year and has a Club option for 2017 before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018. Three, Lucroy is just 30-years-old and is one of the most durable catchers in baseball. And four, among all MLB catchers this season, he ranks in the top-three in batting average (.304), OBP (.361), SLG (.491), hits (89), runs (42), and RBI’s (42).
For all these reasons listed above, a trade for Lucroy would be seen as a blockbuster trade, as he is valued as a top-five catcher in the league. Teams interested in him would need to either be willing to part ways with MLB talent or top-5 prospects to reel in the big catch that is Lucroy.
With that in mind, we look at some of the contenders who could potentially trade for Lucroy before the trade deadline. These five teams are all in a spot to make a run at the playoffs and all need either major help or at least an upgrade at the catcher position.
Next: Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
Why they need him:
It’s an even year (i.e. 2012,2014,2016), and for Dodgers fans everywhere, they know that it means the San Francisco Giants will most likely be playing in the World Series. If you don’t understand this reference, the Giants won the World Series in each even year since 2010 – while having sub-par seasons in between. This means that the Dodgers, who are in second place in the NL West to just the Giants, will need to make a strong final push with a steady roster in the second half. This is where Jonathan Lucroy could fit as a major asset to them.
Their current catcher, Yasmani Grandal is hitting just .212. His FanGraphs Off score (batting runs + base running runs) is -1.9. His strikeout percentage is 23.3%, while to his walk rate which is just 14.2%. Bottom of the line…he’s not getting done at the plate. Lucroy would provide a major offensive improvement and another middle of the lineup hitter.
Concerns:
The only concern is the guy that’s sitting down in AAA. Austin Barnes is a top Dodger prospect and has played a couple games at the MLB level, although hitting just .105 in 10 games. The issue is whether or not the Dodgers could pull off a trade for Lucroy without having to give up Barnes.
Next: Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
Why the need him:
The Red Sox will have an interesting decision to make come July 31. They have roster needs that are much more glaring than catcher, however their current starting catcher is Sandy Leon, a guy who has just 264 at-bats. They also have two young guys in Blake Swihart and Christian Vasquez. However, they’ve moved Swihart to left field temporarily and Vasquez was demoted back to AAA after posting a disappointing .226 average.
Lucroy would not only be a major offensive improvement, but could also be a major home run hitter at Fenway. Thanks to ESPN, we can check where Lucroy’s home runs would have landed if they had been hit at Fenway Park. 10/11 home runs would have gone over the Green Monster. If Lucroy can pull the ball and get some air under it, he could master the Monster, turning fly balls at Miller Park (344 in left), into homeruns at Fenway (310 in left).
Lucroy would also be a huge boost for the pitching staff that has desperately struggled this year. He is a veteran who has handled plenty of staffs over the years, whereas the younger guys in Boston don’t have much experience.
Concerns:
Major concerns would be brought up with Vasquez and Swihart. While both have struggled this year, they both have huge potential.
Vasquez has a strong suit in defense, and has been compared to Yadier Molina behind the plate. Swihart is known for his bat, and can play catcher, first, or outfield. If the Red Sox trade for Lucroy they will most likely have to give up one of the two, a huge gamble.
If the Red Sox are confident they can trade for Lucroy, and then sign him to an extension, they should go for it. Lucroy could be a permanent backstop in Boston for years to come, something they’ve missed since Jason Varitek’s departure. If they aren’t confident, they could lose a young player with a major upside for just a rental.
Next: Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
Why they need him:
The Tigers find themselves back in the heat of an AL Central race as they are in second place with a 46-43 record. The Tigers have the tenth best offense in the MLB, but are very weak at the catcher position. They currently have a platoon with James McCann and Jarrod Saltalamachia. While both of them are defensively sound, they can’t hit.
McCann is hitting .208 and Salty is hitting .203. They’ve driven in a combined 53 RBI’s, compared to Lucroy’s 42 on his own. Bottom of the line – they need a catcher who can hit. Come October, it’s crippling to have a player that is an automatic out at the plate.
Based off the argument’s I’ve already made, you know Lucroy’s numbers and why he would provide a needed spark in Detroit.
Concerns:
The Tigers might not have the pieces to trade for Lucroy. According to Baseball Prospectus they are 27th in Farm System rankings. Their best prospect according to MLB.com is Beau Burrows…he doesn’t even appear on the top 100 list for all prospects.
The Tigers only shot at trading for Lucroy is to involve a third team and giving up major league talent.
Next: Houston Astros
Houston Astros
Why they need him:
It still seems weird to say…The Houston Astros are playoff contenders. The team full of young studs currently sits in second place in the AL West with a 48-41 record. The catcher position is currently employed by Jason Castro. This year his slash line is just .210/.330/.385. The Astros rank 16 in offense according to ESPN, and will need an extra push if they want to be taken seriously.
Lucroy makes great sense as well. Castro is set to be a free agent in 2017. After that they have no top catching prospects to call up. While they may not be able to afford Lucroy when he becomes a free agent in 2018, they can use him for this season and the season to come. And if next year doesn’t go as planned, they can flip him again next July.
The best part is that the Astros have the pieces to make the move. They are currently ranked as the eighth best farm system and flexible enough to trade some valuable pieces. Not to mention, the next team on this list…The Texas Rangers. They are in dire need of catching help. The Astros could do some major damage to their division foes by taking the best catcher on the market. While upgrading their roster, they could diminish the Rangers glaring need at catcher.
Concerns:
Once again, the only concern that might go through the heads of the Astros front office is whether or not they could retain Lucroy. On one hand, they will get a player who gives them a year and a half, and a chance to compete for two years in a row. On the other, they may give up top prospects and not pan out as a team.
We’ll see soon enough if the Brewers and Astros make another big deal for the second summer in a row.
Next: Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers
Why they need him:
The Rangers have already expressed interest in trading for Lucroy. Ken Rosenthal reported that there were 18 scouts at a Texas Rangers Class A Rookie League game, supposedly many of those scouts were sent by the Brewers. This can only lead us to believe that the two teams have had preliminary talks, and the Brewers are scouting potential prospects to receive in the trade.
The Rangers are in a similar situation the Tigers are in, working with a platoon system. The Rangers are using Robinson Chirinos, hitting .205 in 73 at-bats, and Bobby Wilson, hitting .232 in 125 at-bats this year. Both players are 30+ years of age, and have no real future with the Rangers besides being used as bench players.
Texas is having one of its best starts to a season in the past couple years. They lead the AL West and have one of the most powerful offenses in all of baseball. Their pitching hasn’t been great, sporting an ERA of 4.42. Lucroy could immediately come in and help the pitching staff, while also helping defensively. He’s thrown out 39% of all runner stealing in 2016. Chirinos has thrown out 27% and Wilson has thrown out just 23% in 2016.
Next: Should the Phillies trade Jeremy Hellickson?
The Rangers need Lucroy to make it deep in October. They have the ninth best Farm System, but no real promising catching prospects who could make a difference this year. That being said, they still have many pieces that could make the deal happen.
Concerns:
None, make the trade.