Colorado Rockies seeking Jonathan Lucroy in trade talks
By Tim Haberin
The Colorado Rockies are reportedly showing interest in Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy a day before the trade deadline.
The Colorado Rockies are eyeing an upgrade at catcher, and Jonathan Lucroy is reportedly a target. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says a potential trade that would send the Texas Rangers backstop to Colorado “has legs.”
Lucroy is not nearly as coveted a trade chip as he was a year ago, when the Milwaukee Brewers dealt him to the Rangers (after a nixed trade to Cleveland) in exchange for a package that included outfielder Lewis Brinson, now the top prospect in the Brewers farm system.
The 31-year-old Lucroy is laboring through his worst season at the plate since his debut campaign in 2010. He owns a timid .245/.300/.342 slash line with four home runs and 27 RBI in 76 games. That’s a far cry from last year, when he hit .292/.355/.500 with a career-high 24 homers and 81 RBI between Milwaukee and Texas.
Lucroy managed a 4.5 fWAR last season, good for the top mark among catchers in Major League Baseball. This year he’s at just 0.2 fWAR, which places him all the way down at 48th. Ouch.
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However, the Rockies’ current array of backstops hasn’t been very inspiring this year either. Tony Wolters has handled the bulk of the catching duties; he’s slashing .255/.351/.306 with no homers and 14 RBI in 65 games. Ryan Hanigan (23 games), Dustin Garneau (22) and Tom Murphy (8) have also donned the mask, though none has managed an OPS over .652.
If they complete a deal, the Rockies will hope that a move to the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field breathes some life into Lucroy’s bat down the stretch. The eight-year veteran’s career .243/.299/.357 slash line at the ballpark isn’t exactly appealing, but it’s over a modest 22 games.
At the very least, Lucroy shouldn’t cost nearly as much as he did at last year’s deadline, when he was having a superb season and came with an affordable team option. Now an impending free agent, he could be a decent buy-low gamble for the Rockies to take as they aim for their first postseason berth since 2009.
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Colorado has already declared itself a buyer, swinging a deal for reliever Pat Neshek from the Phillies last week. The NL West division title is all but out of reach thanks to the Dodgers, but the Rockies remain in a solid position as far as the playoffs are concerned. With a record of 59-45, the club has a five-game edge in the Wild Card race, one it seeks to defend over the season’s final two months.