2:42pm: Manager Dave Martinez confirmed to reporters that Lucroy has elected for free agency and will look for an opportunity with another club (Twitter link via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). Martinez added that the Nationals’ door “is always open” for a possible reunion (presumably on a minor league deal) if Lucroy can’t find an opportunity elsewhere.
12:10pm: Veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy went unclaimed on outright waivers and has elected free agency over a minor league assignment with the Nationals, per his MLB.com transactions log. He’s now free to sign with any other club.
The 34-year-old Lucroy spent Spring Training with the White Sox, who cut him loose late in camp. He latched on with the Nationals after the team saw nine players, including both Yan Gomes and Alex Avila, unavailable for Opening Day due to Covid-19 positives within the organization. Lucroy wound up starting for the Nats on Opening Day and appeared in five games for the club, going 5-for-14 with a double and a pair of RBIs.
Lucroy isn’t the same player he was at his peak with the Brewers in 2011-14, when he was one of the game’s top all-around options behind the plate. His numbers both at the plate and behind it have waned in recent seasons, as he’s batted just .249/.316/.351 in 1277 plate appearances since Opening Day 2017.
That said, Lucroy is a 12-year big league veteran and two-time All-Star who can still swing the bat more effectively than many backup options around the league. He had a nice showing with the ChiSox this spring, going 6-for-18 with a double, five walks and only one strikeout in 23 plate appearances. He may not find an immediate spot on a big league roster, but it’d hardly be a surprise for several clubs to show interest in adding Lucroy on a minor league deal as a depth option — particularly if said teams are relying on one or more inexperienced catching options on their big league roster.
Remember when this guy refused to play for indians?
Yeah, there’s a decision I’m sure he secretly regrets to this day.
Do you really thinkneith the money he’s made playing a game we would love to have played has many professional regrets? When an injury occurs getting him a major League opportunity, he’ll be back.
In 10 years, when he’s looking at his bank acct vs what he could of have, absolutely yes.
This guy could have signed a mega long term deal and went a different route.
There have been injuries already and he can’t find a job. Sometimes a career is just over.
Yes, put a fork in him!
He’s made over 25 million dollars playing baseball, I’m sure he has little regret over any money he may have left on the table.
@tats. The Cleveland Indians were one of 8 teams on his no trade list at the time as well as the Washington Nationals ironically. So he had the right to veto the trade.
yeah, he had the ability to waive the no trade clause. I remember going to bed and being like hell yeah and waking up like oh no. but his career really hasn’t been the same since…I call it karma.
And another instance of sometimes the best deals are those not consummated. Cleveland dodged a big one there.
Waving your banner all over the place
SINGING “WE WILL WE WILL ROCK YOU
WE WILL WE WILL ROCK YOU”
He is the Moonlight Graham of the Red Sox.
Bert Lancaster?
I believe he’s only a handful of days from 10 years MLB service time.
I think he met the 10 year mark as days being in DFA limbo count.
I believe he just reached 10 years!
He reached the 10-year threshold this week.
Yeah I’m thinking the same thing. That pension is a huge “get”. You see a lot of guys hang on for the golden 10 year mark (I don’t blame them).
Even if he doesn’t play another game, getting that and the resulting benefits, he got a big score. Congrats to him.
Article said he’s had a 12 year playing career. The rabbits wearing glasses love you
Service time is different. He apparently now has 10 full years service time, earned over the course of a 12 year playing career.
Bingo!
I’ve gotta think his phone will be ringing the very next time a starting catcher hits the IL. CLE just signed Rene Rivera to a minors deal earlier this week. Lucroy would have been a better choice, but his refusal to play for CLE a few years ago likely made that a non-starter.
I’d refuse to play for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Cleveland Baseball Team, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Atlanta Braves just because
If one of these 13 teams offered $30-mil for one year I’m sure you’d change your mind.
The Mets could pick him up
No faith in Thomas Nido?
I really think in today’s baseball it’s best to have three catcher when one can play first and DH .
Why would the Mets, who already have Smith and Alonso (and a Davis) possibly want a bad hitting catcher to play first base for them? Much less DH? What’s the point?
having more catchers on the roster doesnt correlate with wins. unless you have a guy like Austin Nola or La Tortuga who is legitimately versitile it’s a waste.
Braves need a good backup !
Pirates?
5 years ago he was the hottest name on the trade market and every team in baseball wanted this guy. Now he’s been on 7 different teams in the last 5 years.
only 29 teams wanted him cards had molina therefore no need for lucroy.
Good fit for the Toronto Blue Jays who are in need of any type of catcher. Picking up Lucroy and having him work with Kirk could be the right thing to do BUT Toronto will probably keep throwing Jansen out there even though his offensive game has not been there in almost 2 years and defensively he is average at best. Demote/trade Jansen and be done with it,
Jays don’t need Lucroy. If Jansen goes, which won’t be for months at least, then Riley Adams comes up. And there’s plenty more behind him.
Adams like Kirk is not fully ready for a team that is “suppose” to be a playoff bound team, They both need some “fine tuning”. In Kirk’s case, who has some major league experience, a veteran guy like Lucroy could help him fine tune his abilities in the Majors, while Adams can still get his reps in the minors while fine tuning his craft.
As for Jansen he has been here long enough, with a decline on his offense and very little improvement to his defense.the time to move on is now. Jansen has improved his blocking balls (not hard considering how bad he was) but his game calling and his inability to throw out runners is well below average.combine that with no offense and as I said time to move on.
Lucroy is not an upgrade at this point in his career over Jansen and Kirk.
Jansen’s game calling has not been a problem. Not sure what game you are watching. He is in-sync with their ace, Ryu. I believe Jansen also caught Matz’ two starts. Jansen’s throwing abilities are fine also. Game calling certainly isn’t an issue thus far.
Again, to reiterate, Lucroy is not an upgrade. He’d be battling for 4th string behind Adams who’s yet to reach the majors.
I’ve watched the games, Did you? I saw what I saw and almost anybody is an improvement over Jansen and as I said above, Adams is not ready. Lucroy could help Kirk with his development which is really the point I was making here. and any offense Lucroy provides is better than the ZERO the Jansen provides.
Offence is not the most important skill that a catcher posseses. I would take Jansen/Kirk or Adams anyday. Not sure what game your watching.
If we’re going by the “eye test”, we need to know a few things upfront…
1) What size is your TV?
1a) How many games do you attend in person? Where are your seats in relation to the action on the field? (Upper deck seating does not qualify for the “eye test”.)
2) Do you have 20/20 vision? If not, do you wear glasses or contacts?
3) Are you free from other temporary distractions during the game (i.e. children, spouse, pets, etc.)? Using “I’ve watched the games” requires intense concentration so all pieces of data aren’t missed.
4) Do you consume alcoholic beverages while you’re watching the game? Just so we know how impaired (or not) you get, as it can impact one’s vision.
Thank you for your submission.
@egon you don’t have to be 100% focused on each game to see that a player just doesn’t have it anymore. most of us here are armchair gm’s (myself included) but most of us here have spent years playing/watching games and can just “see” when someone just doesn’t have it anymore.
The ZERO Jansen provides is no less than the ZERO Lucroy would provide. They’re both basically 80 OPS+ guys
Darth, Kirk can go to AAA to work with the vet the Jays brought in a couple weeks ago. There’s his mentor. Lucroy is not an upgrade over Jansen nor is he the defender as he once was. Lucroy’s throwing ability continues to fade (you lied about that in your first post).
Again, what game are you watching? We agree Jansen can’t hit. Complaining about Jansen’s D is absurd. He has been fine.
Kirk needs to realize that conditioning and mobility are a big part of catching. He’s got 30-40 pounds he could lose.
Professional teams have all these facilities, nutritionists and training staff for a reason.
12.6 BWAR over a three year stretch (2012-14) and a total of 5BWAR over about 2800 PA otherwise. Interesting career.
This guy has made very little money, relatively speaking, for the career he has had.
So do the Nats have to pay his full salary (presumably major league minimum) for the year?
I don’t think so. The Nats originally signed him to a minor league deal, assigned him to Rochester, then promoted him. So I don’t think he had a guaranteed major league deal. I could be wrong though.
usually those deals come with a guaranteed roster bonus, but given the Nats signed him with the inmediate intention of promoting him his deal may have been a little different.
I think the Braves could use him. Jackson can’t hit.
Have knee pads, will travel
I thought Lucroy was closer to 38. Just a shell of what he used to be. That being said I thought he would have been a decent option for the Cubs to bring back.
I don’t follow the Nats.. is there a reason for this? short sample from spring to now seems like he was doing okay at the plate… His defense gone?
they have Gomes and Avila.
I see. thanks!
His whole game is gone. He likely never had a permanent spot. He’s a fringe major leaguer at best at this point. Hasn’t been good in several years, age has caught up. 14 plate appearances don’t change that.
Fish need him badly.
Retire already!!
Better option for Yankees as 1B/backup C than Bruce.
Um, no. Bruce is awful but there’s nothing “better” about Lucroy.
If he decides to hang them up I’d like to see him sign a one day contract with the Brewers. He’ll always be a Brewer to us in Milwaukee.
I wouldn’t be surprised. Didn’t Bill Hall do this as well? Players that weren’t necessarily “stars” but spent a good portion of their careers with the Brewers.
G.C. Cameron is warming up his pipes.
Padres. Campusano obviously isn’t ready and now you have to wonder about his character with the drugs. Just because the charges were dropped (questionable reason for traffic stop), doesn’t change the fact that he had all those drugs in his possession, in his vehicle.