The Rockies have officially struck a deal to acquire Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, as Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network first reported (via Twitter). A player to be named later is going to Texas in return, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). (Note: the PTBNL cannot be a 2017 draft pick.)
[RELATED: Updated Rockies Depth Chart]
Lucroy, 31, was connected to the Rockies earlier today. The veteran receiver will help bolster a catching situation that has been less-than-ideal all year long. While Tom Murphy was expected to play a major role, he missed an extended stretch due to injury and was optioned after struggling upon his return. Tony Wolters has been over-extended as a regular, and neither Ryan Hanigan nor Dustin Garneau has shown much during their time in the majors this year.
Colorado will hope that Lucroy provides a steadying presence, both in the field and at the plate. He’s earning just $5.25MM on the year — just over $1.8MM of which remains — before reaching the open market at season’s end, so his acquisition won’t make a major dent in the club’s payroll.
But for this move to succeed, Lucroy will need to engineer a turnaround. Through his 306 plate appearances this year, the veteran is hitting just .242/.297/.338 with four home runs. And the questions aren’t limited to the offensive side of the equation. Once the poster boy for pitch framing, Lucroy has rated as perhaps the worst framer in baseball in 2017.
That output falls far shy of his typical work. From the start of his breakout 2012 season through the end of the 2016 campaign, Lucroy ran up a .291/.353/.465 slash line — numbers more commonly seen from quality corner outfielders than backstops. He also developed a reputation as a top-tier defensive catcher, driven especially by his outstanding abilities in the then-underappreciated art of pitch framing.
Whether the veteran can bounce back will surely be interesting to see. He has struck out in just 10.5% of his plate appearances this year, though he’s also walking at a lesser rate (6.2%) than usual. He has surely been a bit unfortunate with a .259 BABIP, though that hardly explains the massive power drop-off (from a career .153 isolated slugging to a current .096 mark). And it is concerning that Lucroy is making far less hard contact (22.3%) and putting the ball on the ground far more (56.2%) than he has typically. With respect to the framing downturn, it’s anyone’s guess whether he can return to his prior levels, though perhaps there’s reason to think that Lucroy will excel regardless in the-less quantifiable aspects of his craft behind the dish.
For the Rangers, meanwhile, the move perhaps begins what could be quite a busy stretch. The club has been rumored to be preparing to move star righty Yu Darvish, and will surely be listening to offers on a variety of other players. Relievers Keone Kela and Jeremy Jeffress are said to be available, while pending free agent hitters Carlos Gomez and Mike Napoli likely are as well.
It’s disappointing, surely, for the Rangers to be overseeing a sell-off in the midst of a season that started with lofty expectations. But the club is also undoubtedly right not to double down on a roster that had too many questions. That said, with numerous core pieces under contract for the foreseeable future, the expectation remains that the Rangers will be focused on moving pending free agents while reloading for another run in 2018.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
CJBoze22
Rockies might actually make the playoffs this year
00944
Great pickup
bsteady7
I love this. Good offensive player slumping and gets traded to COLORADO!! One of the best moves I’ve ever seen. For aPTBNL TOO?!?
halos101
i love this move for the rockies.
walls17
Oh snap the Rangers be selling
Matt Galvin
Let the deals begins but lots of hours to late.
halos101
plenty of time to deal
dodgerfan711
It definitely wont be another Brinson. Rangers sure whiffed on that one
madmanTX
Like the Dodgers going to shell out big for Darvish or Gray heh
chesteraarthur
What?
MB923
Wishful thinking there madman
fisher40
They struck out badly on that deal for Lucroy. Brinson has a bright future and Ortiz as well
woolcorp
Hopefully for them they get 2016 and not 2017 Lucroy.
tsc32
Just one good prospect is all I hope for here
Priggs89
A rental with a WAR of -0.5… I wouldn’t be expecting much.
mack22 2
Too little too late Rox
tim_bublitz
Moron
bsteady7
You must not know
Padresrebuild
Great pickup for CO!
Jt0712
COL
dudeness88
COLOR?
EndinStealth
Cold Medicine
dugdog83
COL Financial?
WhiteSox4ever
Serious contenders
MILWBrewersFan
The Rockies are not serious contenders with their pitching staff.
jdgoat
The 2015 royals say hi
mvpetro
2015 royals had a stacked bullpen
jdgoat
So do the Rockies. McGee, holland, neshek is really good
MB923
The Rockies relievers are 24th in ERA and 17th in FIP. The Royals in 2015 were 2nd and 10th respectively. The only thing those 2 teams have in common is one pitcher in Greg Holland.
JFactor
Use park adjusted numbers please….
thor would look better in red
Holland didn’t pitch for the 2015 Royals
prf999
With that offense they are
EndinStealth
They just got swept in St. Louis because of their bad pitching. Unless they acquire a front end rotation piece they won’t go far.
bsteady7
All you need is 5 maybe even 4 good innings in post season baseball with a really good bullpen
dswaim
They just improved their pitching staff with this pickup
xpatriot5747
you’re crazy
charles stevens
Hold the onions on that Diablo
justinept
Hasn’t been very good this year, but he has a track record of solid numbers. Throw in Coors Field, and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t work out. He’s certainly better than any catcher the Rockies have put behind the plate this year,
WhiteSox4ever
Lucroy in Colorado numbers will be huge
drstevenhorn
You would think, but his numbers this year are in Texas, where they should also be huge.
GeauxRangers
He has started trying to only hit balls that almost hit him in the wrist and try to bloop them over the 2nd/1st baseman
jkr11a
Rangers have a solid team just inconsistent play and won’t make the playoffs this year. Sell the walk year guys and try to get ready for next year
Whos123
Finally someone with something smart to say about the rangers. Everyone I’ve seen on here just wants them to rebuild when we can easily contend next year. We have such a good team but nobody performed, unfortunately.
RangersFanCD19
Agreed it’s a retool not a rebuild
jrod7451
Rangers are no where near contending. They don’t have any core players. Darvish is likely not to resign with them. Probably headed to NY or LA. They don’t have a good farm system so they’ll go into full rebuild.
Modified_6
While I 100% want to rebuild, that statement is foolish.
Andrus, and Beltre are no doubt core players.
I’m not a big fan of Mazara, but he is probably entering that territory as well.
mitt24
Not a big trade quit acting like COL picked up an all star. Dude has been trash all year. Might hit 20 points higher in coors. Wont matter because Rockies are missing the playoffs. Crappy rotation
RunDMC
Usually the most impactful trades are not the biggest ones. Having a steady vet as a backstop will definitely help the young rotation, and the high elevation should help Lucroy’s numbers. That being said, their bullpen is great. Give that offense some room the breathe and they could be dangerous.
Mikel Grady
I agree . Mike Montgomery getting last out of World Series to put goat curse to rest .
LADreamin
Tell us how you really feel.
raef715
ok, thanks for letting us know.
jdgoat
Now that’s a hot take
shelteredsoxfan
More like a hot garbage take
xpatriot5747
The Rockies rotation is far from crappy . and his numbers will go up a little bit, but the Rockies lineup is solid anyway. A little tick from the catcher position will go far. and Lucroy’s framing statistics might go up when he’s back with national league umpires. and rox gave up nothing. it’s a decent rental
acarneglia
I was thinking before this trade Colorado and New York in the World Series. Idk why but I think it’ll happen.
chuckymorris
Rockies are getting past the dodgers in the NLDS?
Cubbie75
no
Cubbie75
nope
hodor 3
Anything can happen in the playoffs, for real.
Jon_Snow
I know nothing but I agree that anything can happen. Hodor.
melly
Thoroughly enjoy this back and forth. Will Colorado end up as kings of the north? (Ahhh I got nothing)
MB923
By the way things look now, No, but the Rockies (if they make the playoffs) and Dodgers will both be 0-0 in October. Just because the Dodgers are having success now doesn’t mean they will in October.
Ask any Mariner or National fan here about their postseason success. Or….ask the Dodgers themselves. Haven’t made it to the WS in almost 30 years.
hiflew
Rockies aren’t afraid of the Dodgers. They are 5-7 against them this season. Not an ideal record mind you, but nothing that tells me they can’t get 4 wins in a 7 game series.
Cardinal
Great leader; will only help to improve the pitching staff
Cubbie75
That’s one catcher off the table for the Cubs. Maybe Avila then?
Rford
Avila to the cubs could be interesting. Him and contrares could work.
Rford
Yawn.. no big deal.
Poynter3434
Mcmahon possibly?
jodendahl
Puff puff pass
asuchrisc
Anyone been to Arlington in the summer? That stadium is a convection oven during day games. I’d hate to have to catch there.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
I don’t mind lucroy now that he’s off the brewers. He was a cubs killer.
jdgoat
Lol they traded brinson, Cordell and Ortiz for a struggling reliever and a ptbnl
dodgerfan711
No wounder they want the moon for Darvish
tsc32
The moon would be Buehler and Verdugo. Asking for one of the two is hardly unrealistic
justinept
They traded Hendricks for Ryan Dempster… they don’t have the best trade history.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
They traded carl Edwards Jr for Matt Garza who was for traded previously for Chris archer , who also was traded for previously for Mark DeRosa. Jim Hendry wasn’t very smart either.
tsc32
We’re looking to drop the reliever too. So maybe 2 PTBNL. Yay…
woolcorp
Jon is legandary overpayer
Kevin217
This will motivate Lucroy to step it up to make the playoffs. Great move by Rockies!
TJECK109
Why does a trade need to motivate a professional athlete to perform in the playoffs? Wasn’t he traded last year to the rangers for the playoffs?
justinept
Because athletes feed off the atmosphere, and the atmosphere is created by the fans. Fans are just more jazzed during a pennant race.
Modified_6
Seems like millions of dollars should do the trick… maybe I just ask for too much though.
chesteraarthur
If they feed off the atmosphere, why doesn’t every player do better in the playoffs?
kehoet83
Human nature would disagree
GareBear
Some athletes hate to loose more then they love to win. It’s the competitive nature of athletes. Yes, they always want to do their best but just look at guys like David Ortiz. When the lights shown brightest was when he thrived. Carlos Beltran, Reggie Jackson, and many others were the same way. Not everybody does it but you can’t discredit the idea that some players thrive on the competition and winning atmosphere.
tim815
For Vilade then?
justinept
That’s what I’m thinking
arrowslinger85
No way, not for a rental who’s having the worse year of his career
halos101
this PTBNL bugs me… curiosity is too much to not know who is headed to texas
justinept
Probably a draft pick… My guess is Vilade, their 2nd round pick.
OnlyRaysFan
Ignore what the article says. The trea turner rule doesn’t allow recent draftees to be traded until after the world series. Not even as PTBNLs can they be traded
Priggs89
That’s what I thought…
OnlyRaysFan
Yeah looks like they edited that part out of the article
halos101
yeah jeff passan tweeted that and obviously forgot about the new rule. MLBTR was just saying what passan tweeted
akaydn
Crash Davis, to mentor Hans Crouse….now if we could just trade Gomez for a Susan Sarandon – type we’ll be in business.
ryanh48
It’s official. A PTBNL
unsaturatedmatz
Probably Ryan Avila de
fatelfunnel
I though with the new collective bargaining agreement players from this draft could not be traded until the conclusion of the World Series. That also meant they could not be PTBNL in any deal done now……
Anyone know the rules for sure, I admit I could be wrong.
Priggs89
Nah, I’m pretty positive you’re right.
woolcorp
Fire Jon Daniels!
66TheNumberOfTheBest
In hockey, they have “conditional trades”. Ex- The Blackhawks trade a 4th round pick, but it becomes a third round pick if the player plays a certain number of games or the team advances to a certain playoff round, etc.
I wonder if the PTBNL can be used for the same purposes in baseball.
So, if Lucroy goes to COL and plays like he did in Texas, the Rangers get the Rockie’s #28 prospect, but if he plays well, they get the #16 prospect or something like that.
indiansfan44
The PTBNL can be used in baseball like that too. When the Indians traded Sabathia in 08 it was conditional on the Brewers making the playoffs. Because they made it Brantley was the player instead of guy it would of been of they missed the playoffs.
ThePriceWasRight
This is going to sting the rangers. give up your top prospect last year for a rental. they can’t argue against teams not wanting to give up verdugo or torreyes for a rental darvish when the rangers are clear proof how horrible those deals can go.
Daniel Youngblood
The Cliff Lee trade that led to a World Series appearance in 2010 was an example of the opposite. And the Rangers’ decisions to hold onto Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar past their peak trade value certainly didn’t pay off for the organization. It works both ways.
The bottom line is there’s nothing inherently wrong with trading top prospects for short-term assets. It all depends on talent evaluation, player performance and prospect development. And all teams have good and bad examples to point to.
padresfan
Well coors field might work with in his favor
cbf82
One down and Darvish, Napoli, Gomez, Kela, and Cashner to go!
rycm131
How do you go from being the best framer
To worse? Doesn’t seem like a skill that would diminish that greatly?
Nortexfan2
It’s hard to frame pitches when the staff lacks control. Not going to get a lot of the benefit of the doubt from the umps.
stymeedone
It’s a subjective stat.
hiflew
It’s why that stat is not taken as seriously yet. They just don’t have the right formula yet, if it exists at all.
highandtight
Being a former catcher, my guess is that he has some sort of wrist or thumb injury on his left hand. Framing pitches at that velocity and with the movement MLB pitchers have can hurt the wrist/thumb. So if those areas are tender, you tend to come around the pitch and get behind it with your glove, but that gives the appearance that the ball is out of the zone, when it may be borderline.
That could also explain his diminished hitting stats over his career norms. Most people, myself included, thought that he would be a lock for 20+ dingers in Texas. I don’t know what goes into the pitch framing stat, but I agree that is not a skill that should diminish overnight without some other factor.
tsc32
Any chance at all it’s Vilade? Lucroy sucks but I want to hold out a tiny bit of hope that we’ll get at least something decent back after giving away Brinson and Ortiz for free
hiflew
No chance whatsoever. It cannot be a 2017 draft pick by rule.
tsc32
So it would be 2016 draft guys then? What guys in Colorado’s system fit?
SanDiegoTom
Nice trade for Colorado, I still think they need a SP and a bullpen piece to challenge for a wild card spot.
Donnie B
They have a WC locked up – nobody catching them, as for the BP piece, they just got Neshek, also a great pick-up. Bettis is also coming back soon, and that’s as good as a trade for a starter.
The WC sucks though, it should be a best of three….
Rox will have to beat Greinke in the 1 game playoff.
GeauxRangers
Wow this makes the Rangers a lot better
Brewersnation
When he was with the Brewers he was an amazing leader on and off the field and we got a big return from Texas for him and jefferies. I am surprised the Rockies got him for a player to be named later. I think the Rockies are getting a steal on this trade.
The Oregonian
Nice and all, but wouldn’t Darvish have helped them more?
EndinStealth
Brewers bad with Lucroy.
Brewers good without Lucroy.
Rangers good without Lucroy.
Rangers bad with Lucroy.
Rockies good without Lucroy.
Rockies………..
cbf82
hahaha
66TheNumberOfTheBest
If this is the last minute clearance shopping price level for rentals between now and the deadline, there is no excuse for even bubble teams not to rent some pieces.
Even the Pirates.
Arnold Ziffel
Texas will not get a top prospect in this trade.
RyanR
Why would he go for just a PTBNL? He’s not that bad.
EndinStealth
Because he’s a pure rental having a bad season. There wasn’t any real demand for him.
Priggs89
Yes, this year he is.
tsc32
He’s been horrible this season. He had pretty much lost the starting job to Chirinos
firstbleed
PTBNL are not always non-prospects. It just means they can choose from a handful of predetermined players at a later date. So they can watch these prospects for a few weeks or a month before making a decision.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
It’s been a long time since the Rockies had a good catcher. This is a good pick up and only a ptbnl.
Joe Giradi
Charles Johnson
A really long time.
hiflew
Neither of them were that good for the Rox either. Chris Iannetta is probably the best catcher in Rockies history IF you only include their time in Colorado. Has always been the weakest position for the team. Second base was weak too before LeMahieu.
CardsNation5
The Cardinals should try to get Jeffress.
CardsNation5
Even though Jeffress has an ERA over 5, if you look at his numbers in the NL over his career, he has a sub 3 ERA.
TylerThe bravos fanatic
Maybe he can hit more homers there
guardianangel
He will do so much better calling his own game rather than listening to Brocail who will be fired in short order. the entire staff, hamels, Darvish etc despise his meddling. Dyson leaves and is thriving. buy low on our guys. they will bounce back huge. ugh. good luck to all the teams, I hope we fire Brocail soon
KenAndTonic
At this price, the Brewers should have made this move