In the ultimate no-brainer decision, the Rangers will exercise star catcher Jonathan Lucroy‘s $5.25MM club option for 2017.
Lucroy, whom the Rangers acquired from the Brewers prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, will continue as one of the game’s most reasonably priced standouts for another season. Between Texas and Milwaukee, he batted a stellar .292/.355/.500 with 24 home runs in 544 plate appearances. That came after Lucroy battled injuries in 2015 and hit a disappointing .264/.326/.391 with seven homers in 415 PAs. Aside from that season, the 30-year-old has been among the game’s premier all-around catchers since 2012. As has typically been the case, Lucroy graded out quite well as a pitch framer this year, per both Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner.
The 2017 campaign will be Lucroy’s last under the five-year, $11MM extension he inked with the Brewers in 2012. Whether via an extension with the Rangers or a deal with another team in free agency a year from now, Lucroy should become one of the sport’s highest-paid catchers sometime within the next 12-plus months.
Well of course they did. And that’s a crummy salary to pay a catcher of his caliber. Next year it will be different. But nobody else even begins to measure up.
Yeah, it’s a wonder he can feed his family on 5.25m
Hahaha
Lol
Yeah poor guy. Only $5.25 million. As for no one else measuring up, Buster Posey would like a word.
Jonathan Lucroy midseason turns down trade to the Indians. Gets praised by Milwaukee’s crowd. Three days later except the trade to the Texas Rangers. Indians go to game seven of the World Series. Hilarious, way to be loyal Lucroy.
Wasn’t about loyalty it was about the fact the Indians have other catchers, they were just injured at the time of the trade. Texas has been struggling at catcher and he saw the chance to play everyday.
And it was closer to home…and well, Cleveland…
Loyalty?? Really? A catcher of his caliber was going to play a bit. Ride the bench a bit! Play a bit more. Possibly DH. Oh that’s right. They had Nap too!
We had Robinson Chirinos as our starting catcher. He saw an opportunity and chose to come to Texas!
Had nothing to do with Cleveland being a joke town!
Congrats to those Indians for a hard fought World Series!!!! Maybe next year!
And ironically, the awful throw by Yan Gomez in the ninth inning that led to Michael Martinez being at the plate with the final game of the World Series on the line.
It’s Yan Gomes
He didn’t accept a trade to the Rangers. They weren’t on his no-trade list. He didn’t have a choice.
One of the biggest “no brainers” of the off season decisions.