Texas Rangers failed experiment.
The Jonathan Lucroy experiment failed. After trading away two of their prized prospects for Lucroy in 2016, the Texas Rangers wound up selling the veteran catcher to the Colorado Rockies for the cherished “player to be named later” one season later. Talk about a regrettable series of events.
To sum up the Gomez and Napoli stints, all you have to do is locate the strikeout category. The two combined for 290 strikeouts in 793 at-bats. Executing the basic math, that equates to a strikeout in every three at-bats. Gomez was stellar in the outfield, and he did provide the occasional spark at the plate. Though, an inconsistent leadoff hitter far from suited a lineup with already too many inconsistent hitters.
Napoli, on the other hand, was terrible all throughout. His clubhouse camaraderie and leadership certainly helped with morale; however, the Texas Rangers were expecting much more from Napoli, at least from an offensive standpoint. He’s had an excellent career at the plate, but it appeared 2017 was rock bottom for the then 35-year-old.
Replacements: Delino DeShields and Robinson Chirinos