Given his performance and team-friendly contract, catcher Jonathan Lucroy could be the most sought-after player available at this year’s trade deadline if the Brewers shop him. The playoff-contending Mets are one of several clubs he seems like a fit for, as their catchers entered Saturday with a horrible .191/.289/.275 batting line and three home runs on the year (Lucroy is at .304/.364/.512 with nine HRs). However, there are roadblocks in the way of a potential deal, writes Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. For one, the Mets don’t seem ready to give up on 27-year-old Travis d’Arnaud as their long-term solution behind the plate. Although d’Arnaud has an extensive history of maladies (he’s currently working his way back from a strained right rotator cuff) and got off to a poor start before suffering his latest injury in April, the former top prospect was quite valuable to the Mets over the previous two seasons. Additionally, the Mets might not have the prospects to win a Lucroy bidding war, per Davidoff, who notes that the team’s best young talent is already playing an important role in the majors. Lucroy, for what it’s worth, told Davidoff that he’s “not really a big city guy.”
Brewers Rumors
Two Teams That Are Unlikely To Acquire Jonathan Lucroy
Although the catcher-needy Rays covet Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy, their aversion to trading prospects makes them unlikely to acquire the 29-year-old if Milwaukee shops him, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (video link). The Cubs, like the Rays, are also a poor bet to land Lucroy. Chicago inquired about Lucroy’s availability during the offseason and even explored the idea of involving a third club to help make a trade happen with the division-rival Brewers, says Rosenthal, who adds that talks didn’t get serious then and probably won’t around the deadline. As Rosenthal notes, the Cubs have $14MM catcher Miguel Montero at the major league level, and highly regarded prospect Willson Contereras is laying waste to Triple-A pitching.
Looking For A Match In A Jonathan Lucroy Trade
2015 was essentially a lost season for Jonathan Lucroy. The Brewers catcher was limited to 103 games thanks to a concussion and a fractured toe, and he posted his worst numbers in four seasons by hitting only .264/.326/.391 with seven homers over 415 plate appearances. Down year notwithstanding, it’s still quite possible that had Lucroy could be wearing a different uniform today had he stayed healthy — the former All-Star garnered some trade buzz last winter as rivals teams looked to buy low. Brewers GM David Stearns didn’t pull the trigger on a deal, which looks like a shrewd decision given how Lucroy has thoroughly rebuilt his value.
Lucroy has been nothing less than baseball’s best all-around catcher in 2016. In addition to hitting .304/.361/.515 with nine home runs through 227 PA, Lucroy is also posting above-average pitch-framing numbers and has thrown out 24 of 32 runners trying to steal. Since fWAR doesn’t include framing value, there’s an argument that Lucroy has been even more valuable than his already-impressive 2.1 fWAR, which leads all qualified catchers by a healthy margin and ranks him within the top 30 of all players.
If that output wasn’t enough, Lucroy is also on one of the game’s most team-friendly contracts. He has roughly $2.7MM still owed to him in salary for this season, and he is controllable through 2017 on a $5.25MM club option (with a $250K buyout, though the option is a no-brainer to be exercised). Between the superstar production and the small salary commitment, it’s no surprise that Jeff Todd placed Lucroy atop both installments of the MLBTR Top 10 Trade Candidates rankings.
One wrinkle to Lucroy’s trade candidacy is his partial no-trade clause, which allows him to block deals to eight teams each season. Lucroy quite openly discussed his desire to play for a winning team during an interview in January, so it doesn’t seem like he’d stand in the way of a move to a contender, though he could obviously ask for some financial incentive to waive his clause if Milwaukee worked out a deal with one of those eight teams. The Nationals are the only team known to be on Lucroy’s list and while D.C. has shown interest in Lucroy in the past, they have no need for a catcher upgrade thanks to Wilson Ramos’ huge season.
So if not Washington, who else could be Lucroy’s new team? We can probably eliminate these teams since they’re either rebuilding, out of the race or are already set at catcher: Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Twins.
As I mentioned earlier, Lucroy (who turns 30 on Monday next week) won’t come at a big payroll cost, but the Brewers will surely ask for multiple blue-chip prospects and/or MLB-ready young players in return. This type of price tag definitely narrows the field, as some teams simply may not have the young talent to meet Milwaukee’s demands. Teams like the Angels, Mariners, Tigers and White Sox could all use a catcher upgrade but are hamstrung by thin farm systems.
The Mets’ farm system is more highly-regarded than the aforementioned teams, though they might well have to offer one of the young starters in their current rotation to get Milwaukee’s attention in a Lucroy trade. (Given the questionable health of Travis d’Arnaud and Lucas Duda, Lucroy would give the Mets a much-needed bat at catcher or first.) The Phillies can probably also be counted out, as while it’s fun to imagine them pausing their rebuild plans to capitalize on their surprising proximity to the wild card race, it’s probably unlikely that Philadelphia will trade some of the young talent it has amassed over the last year-plus.
The Indians have Yan Gomes locked up on a contract extension that could run through the 2021 season, though Gomes has been hampered by both injuries and inconsistency over the last two years, making him a weak link on a Cleveland team challenging for the AL Central. If you really look outside the box, you could conceive of a scenario where Cleveland offers two of their “untouchable” prospects in Clint Frazier, Bradley Zimmer or Bobby Bradley for Lucroy, then either trades Gomes in the offseason or uses Lucroy at first in 2017. (Gomes could also go to the Brewers in a Lucroy trade.) I would think it’s much more likely, however, that the Tribe focuses on outfield help at the deadline.
The Yankees don’t stand out as an obvious Lucroy landing spot given Brian McCann’s presence, though if Mark Teixeira’s knee injury ends up requiring season-ending surgery, Lucroy and McCann could split time between catcher and first base. (This timeshare could continue into 2017 if Teixeira leaves in free agency, or the Yankees could look to deal Lucroy or McCann in the offseason.) Lucroy’s bat would be a huge boost to a Yankees team that is hanging around the race despite a severe lack of offense. On the flip side, New York’s farm system is also not very deep, and GM Brian Cashman has thus far resisted trade offers for young pieces like Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Jorge Mateo or Gary Sanchez.
The Cubs have the prospect depth to get involved in any trade market, though they don’t have a pressing need at catcher. Chicago ranks ninth among all teams in cumulative catcher bWAR for the season, as Miguel Montero and David Ross have both been very good defensively if below-average at the plate. Montero’s hitting may well pick up as he fully recovers from some back issues, though given how well the Cubs’ catching tandem is fielding the position and handing their spectacular rotation, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer could easily stand pat at catcher. Plus, top prospect Willson Contreras is raking at Triple-A.
The Astros and Rays are in similar positions as teams with a clear need at catcher and some good young talent to offer, yet their biggest issue at the moment is just getting to .500. Even if a pennant run this season is questionable, either club could acquire Lucroy with an eye towards contending again in 2017. Houston asked about Lucroy last winter, and though Jason Castro’s minor revival at the plate has somewhat lessened the Astros’ need at catcher, Lucroy is obviously still a big upgrade. The Astros could also use Lucroy at first base in case top prospect A.J. Reed isn’t quite ready for the bigs. Tampa Bay may not be so eager to deal from its vaunted pitching depth given how Chris Archer, Matt Moore and Drew Smyly have all had their ups and downs this year, though Lucroy would definitively solve the Rays’ longstanding catcher problem.
The Rangers have been linked to Lucroy in trade rumors for months, yet recent reports suggest Texas may instead focus on pitching upgrades at the deadline. Robinson Chirinos has just been activated from the DL, plus the Bryan Holaday/Bobby Wilson combo has performed very well in Chirinos’ almost season-long absence. If Texas was interested in Lucroy over mostly this same catching corps last winter, however, they’re probably still interested in him now. The Rangers have as much young talent at both the major and minor league levels as anyone, and they’re one of the few clubs that could put together a package of four or even five young players without cleaning out their system.
The Red Sox could deal from their own minor league surplus to address their catching situation, as Christian Vazquez has been an excellent defender but a sub-replacement level hitter thus far in his MLB career. Boston’s catching depth has been thinned by Ryan Hanigan and Blake Swihart both hitting the DL, and Swihart had already been moved to left field due to defensive concerns. The Sox are another team that could acquire Lucroy and shift him to first next season if they want to give Vazquez another chance to catch, as Hanley Ramirez will get most of the DH duties once David Ortiz retires. It’s also possible Vazquez himself could be sent to Milwaukee as part of the Lucroy trade package, though clearly not as the headliner — the Brewers would demand at least one (or even two) of Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers or Anderson Espinoza.
Catcher is not a deep position around the game, and Lucroy’s market could still develop quite a bit more before the trade deadline if a contender suffers an injury to its starting backstop. Lucroy’s ability to play first base also allows for some positional creativity for teams looking to jump into his market (as I noted earlier in a few examples). It’s possible the Brewers themselves could look to capitalize Lucroy’s high trade value by packaging him in a deal with Ryan Braun, who’s also hitting well but who is a tougher sell due to his pricey contract, injury history and PED baggage. There aren’t many teams who would be willing or able to absorb all of Braun’s deal, though pairing him with Lucroy would be a creative way for Stearns to clear Milwaukee’s biggest future payroll commitment.
All things considered, Lucroy is probably the most fascinating trade candidate to watch leading up to the deadline. It’s not often that a catcher is the centerpiece of the summer trade season, yet Lucroy is the perfect storm of a star catcher with a very reasonable contract who’s playing for a rebuilding club.
Photo courtesy of Steve Mitchell/USA Today Sports Images
Stearns Suggests Little Interest In Trading Jonathan Villar
- When asked whether the Brewers would consider dealing shortstop Jonathan Villar this summer, GM David Stearns suggested it would be unlikely. “We are looking to acquire players like that,” he said. It’s been quite a turnaround for the 25-year-old since he followed Stearns from the Astros to Milwaukee. Over 250 plate appearances, Villar owns a .306/.405/.450 batting line with a league-leading 22 steals. Better still, he’ll likely fall shy of Super Two status next year, so there’s plenty of cheap control remaining.
Brewers To Designate Neil Ramirez For Assignment
The Brewers announced tonight that they will activate right-hander Corey Knebel from the disabled list tomorrow and designate fellow righty reliever Neil Ramirez for assignment in order to clear a spot on the roster.
Ramirez, 27, was claimed off waivers from the division-rival Cubs just nine days ago and made only two appearances with the Brewers before his somewhat surprising DFA. The former No. 44 overall pick yielded two runs in 1 2/3 innings in his short time with Milwaukee, but as recently as 2014 he looked to be an emerging setup man with the Cubs. Ramirez was originally drafted by the Rangers out of high school in 2007, and he was included in the trade that sent right-hander Matt Garza (now with Milwaukee) from Chicago to the Rangers in 2013. He posted a 1.87 ERA with 68 strikeouts against 23 walks in 57 2/3 innings with the Cubs from 2014-15, though his 2015 campaign was derailed by right shoulder inflammation and an abdominal injury. Ramirez also dealt with triceps soreness back in 2014, and his fastball velocity is down more than two miles per hour since that strong 2014 debut.
While the injuries are clearly a cause for some concern, Ramirez’s former prospect pedigree and success in the 2014-15 season make him somewhat of an intriguing play for a team that can afford to take a chance on a controllable bullpen piece. It’s worth noting that the Braves, Reds, Padres and D-backs — each of whom had waiver priority over the Brewers when he was claimed on May 31 — passed on Ramirez last time he was placed on waivers, however, so it’s also certainly possible that he could slip through waivers a second time around if the Brewers elect to go that route rather than pursue a trade.
Brewers Return Rule 5 Pick Colin Walsh To Athletics
The Brewers will return Rule 5 pick Colin Walsh to the Athletics, reports Jane Lee of MLB.com (Twitter link). Walsh, whom the Brewers designated for assignment on Tuesday, will head to Triple-A Nashville.
Prior to his designation, the 26-year-old Walsh picked up just four hits over his first 63 career major league plate appearances. The infielder/outfielder drew an impressive 15 walks, but he also struck out 22 times – good for a bloated 34.9 percent rate. Walsh has been far more successful in the minors, having hit .278/.395/.422 in nearly 2,500 trips to the plate. He was particularly effective last season in a the Double-A level slashing .302/.447/.470 with 13 home runs and 17 steals in 134 games.
Walsh’s 2015 showing helped lead the Brewers to select him in December, but his weak big league output brought their union to an end. The rest of the league had an opportunity to acquire Walsh after Milwaukee designated him, but nobody bit and he’ll now return to the A’s.
Braves Acquire Jeb Bradley From Brewers
- The Braves have acquired left-hander Jed Bradley from the Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the Brewers announced. Bradley, soon to turn 26, was the 15th overall pick in the 2011 draft but has never seen his career take off in the minors. He posted a 5.83 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A in 2015 and has struggled to a 6.20 ERA in 24 2/3 innings of work at the Double-A level this season. The Georgia Tech product was one of the game’s top 100 prospects heading into the 2012 season (per Baseball America and MLB.com), but it’s been quite some time since he’s been held in high regard as a prospect.
- The Twins inked outfielder Logan Schafer to a minor league contract, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (on Twitter). Schafer, not to be confused with former Twins outfielder Jordan Schafer (no relation), has spent his entire career prior to this season in the Brewers organization. He’s a lifetime .281/.338/.431 hitter in 277 games at the Triple-A level, but he’s struggled to a .212/.286/.319 batting line in 646 big league plate appearances. The 29-year-old recently took to the independent circuit after being cut loose by the Nationals in Spring Training and enjoyed a successful 17-game stint with the Atlantic League’s Lancaster BarnStormers. He’s already reported to Triple-A Rochester and will provide Minnesota with some organizational depth in the outfield, where he can play all three positions.
Stearns Has Scouted Groome, Pint, Collins
- The Brewers’ top baseball decision-maker, GM David Stearns, has paid visits to watch high-school pitchers Jason Groome and Riley Pint as well as University of Miami catcher Zack Collins, Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs reports on Twitter. Longenhagen also adds (Twitter link) that Rockies GM Jeff Bridich recently took a long look at Groome, who was previously favored to go first overall but has slipped in recent mock drafts.
Brewers Designate Colin Walsh
The Brewers have designated Rule 5 pick Colin Walsh, the team announced. The infielder’s roster spot will go to Neil Ramirez, who was claimed off waivers.
Walsh, 26, recorded just four hits in his 63 plate appearances on the year. He did pick up 15 walks, but also struck out 22 times in his first attempt at the majors. Though Walsh had survived several prior roster shakeups that could have sent him packing, Milwaukee evidently decided that he no longer was worth occupying a 25-man spot in order to keep his future rights.
Other teams will have an opportunity to trade for or claim Walsh’s Rule 5 rights. If that does not occur, he’ll be offered back to the Athletics, who employed him prior to his selection in the draft at the end of the Winter Meetings last December.
Brewers Claim Neil Ramirez
The Brewers have claimed righty Neil Ramirez off waivers from the Cubs, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). Ramirez, who just turned 27, had been designated for assignment by Chicago.
Milwaukee is obviously in quite a different position than their division rivals. The rebuilding organization surely felt more willing to take a shot on a potentially impactful reliever who has struggled this year.
Ramirez, who was acquired as part of the 2013 Matt Garza deal, racked up 57 2/3 innings of 1.87 ERA pitching over 2014-15. He posted an impressive 10.6 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 in that span.
Of course, Ramirez also missed significant time last year with shoulder issues, and he hasn’t been himself thus far in 2016. While he is still running up a double-digit K rate, Ramirez is very nearly doing the same with free passes and has permitted four earned runs in 7 2/3 innings. The righty has lost over 2.5 mph on his average fastball since his debut season, though his swinging strike rate and zone percentage remain at normal levels.
Milwaukee will surely hope that Ramirez just needs to battle through a rough stretch. If he can right the ship, he’d provide the organization with another late-inning power arm. There’s contractual upside, too: Ramirez entered the year with 1.158 years of service, meaning he comes with four more years of control. Of course, that also makes him a likely Super Two candidate this winter.
