Texas Rangers and Jonathan Lucroy Drop Extension Talks
New reports have surfaced that All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy and the Texas Rangers have dropped contract extension talks.
According to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jonathan Lucroy said that discussions with the Texas Rangers about a possible contract extension have been tabled. While it is unknown whether or not the sides will attempt to rekindle discussions this season, many players prefer to not negotiate during the season.
Should the Texas Rangers not engage in talks with Lucroy’s representatives over the season, then the catcher will almost certainly become a free agent this winter. The backstop, who will turn 31 years old in June, is in the final deal of a five-year contract with an option. Initially signed with the Milwaukee Brewers after his first full season, the deal has turned out to be a boon for the team.
Over those six years, Lucroy has earned roughly $16 million despite being one of the best catchers in the game. Using FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement metric and a simple wins-to-dollars conversion, the catcher has provided roughly $141 million of value over that time – far more than what he earned.
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Combining his elite talent and cheap contract led the rebuilding Brewers to trade Lucroy to the Texas Rangers this past July. The trade came with a bit of drama, as the Brewers had initially agreed to a deal with the Cleveland Indians, but the catcher exercised his no-trade clause to block the move. Instead, Lucroy went to Texas with Jeremy Jeffress in exchange for Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz, and a player to be named later.
His time in Texas has been a great success so far. Through 47 games last year, the catcher demonstrated a solid ability to reach base while simultaneously experiencing a power flash. He posted a career-best .263 isolated power – the difference between a player’s slugging percentage and batting average – in the new ballpark. Whether or not this will transition into 2017 remains to be seen, but such a power performance would certainly aide in his bargaining position.
As things currently stand, the catcher should have his fair share of suitors this off-season. As MLB Trade Rumors’ Tim Dierkes noted in his most recent power rankings of the upcoming free agents, Lucroy could conceivably enter the market as the top position player. His history of success landed him a fifth-place spot on the ranking behind four starting pitchers, and Dierkes suggested that he could take home more than the five-year deals in the $80 million range that Russell Martin and Brian McCann received.
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In related news, the most recent developments on Jonathan Lucroy’s extension status comes on the back of Rougned Odor’s new contract. The deal is reported to be worth $49.5 million over six years, and the Rangers will receive a club option on the backend. Now the aforementioned Lucroy and Yu Darvish remain as the prime candidates for an extension.