A couple of recent outright assignments to note…
- Veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy was assigned outright to Triple-A Gwinnett after clearing waivers, the Braves announced. He has enough service time to reject the assignment in favor of free agency. Once one of the game’s premier catchers, the now-35-year-old Lucroy has slipped into journeyman status. He went 1-for-5 in a brief look with the Braves, who are his second big league team of the season and fifth in the past three years (not counting his Spring Training run with the White Sox). An All-Star in 2016, it’s been a swift decline for Lucroy, who has batted just .249/.317/.350 in 1286 plate appearances split among eight teams since the start of the 2017 season.
- Infielder Wyatt Mathisen went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Tacoma, the Mariners announced. He was designated for assignment earlier in the week. The 27-year-old Mathisen came over from the Rays in a deal that sent cash back to Tampa Bay late last month. He didn’t appear in a big league game and has struggled in 15 Triple-A contests with the Mariners, although his Triple-A track record prior to this stint has been excellent. Mathisen hit .288/.344/.525 with the Rays’ top affiliate in Durham earlier this year and posted a massive .283/.403/.601 slash through 87 games with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A club back in 2019 (albeit in the juiced ball season). He has experience at second base and all four corner positions.
Juan Uribe Profundo
Makes a lot of sense for the White Sox to pick up Lucroy again to serve as backup catcher until Grandal returns. He is much better than glove-first backup catcher Seby Zavala, who is so bad at hitting that the White Sox voluntarily gave up the DH two nights ago to pinch hit for Zavala in a key situation. (the PH tied the game, which they later won)
ASapsFables
Jonathan Lucroy would also make a sensible platoon partner with left-handed hitting catcher Zack Collins until Yasmani Grandal returns in late August or September.
More often than not, Collins would catch the starting pitchers he has had a long standing relationship with since being drafted by the White Sox in 2016. Those SP’s include Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Carlos Rodon. Lucroy could get the lion’s share of work with veterans Dallas Keuchel and Lance Lynn.
tstats
Huh that’s a great observation that Collins has been catching his more drafted guys that came up with him. Smart moves by the FO/TLR
CalcetinesBlancos
No it doesn’t. The last thing this team needs is to start relying on some ancient catcher, even for a few weeks. Better to keep letting the guys we have now handle it until Grandal comes back. Plus getting Zavala more big league experience right now might pay off this later this year, or next.
Also, you aren’t describing the situation in enough detail. They voluntarily gave up the DH because there were multiple men on, it was the 8th inning, Collins was already the DH, and we had Vaughn on the bench available to pinch hit, which he did. It’s not like it was the third inning.
Dogbone
OK CB, you and Aaron can argue all that you want to. But the bottom line is, Lucroy in either case, would be much better defensively than either Grandal or Collins. They both need to get in much better condition – or learn to actually stop the pitches from bouncing off the backstop.
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
If anyone EVER needs to know why players grab what they can when they can, moneywise, just look at the case of Lucroy. It really wasn’t that long ago that he was one of the most coveted players in the game, with many thinking he was the difference-maker between contending and not.
FredMcGriff for the HOF
I agree hubcap. Lucroy probably cost himself 2-3 times his career earnings by not signing a extension. He was probably a top 3 catcher for a short while and should’ve cashed in on that.
ABCD
Lucroy signed an $11 million extension in 2012. It had a team option during the first free agent eligible year that Texas exercised for $5 million the off-season after they traded for him. Lucroy was an All Star catcher in 2016 and would have received a massive free agent payday if he had not signed that extension. Russell Martin signed for over $80 million a couple years prior.
Brewers got Brinson who they flipped as part of a package for Yelich a couple years later.
CalcetinesBlancos
Will be interesting to see what Javy Baez ends up costing himself by turning down that offer from the Cubs awhile back.
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
That’s a good comparison. Will be interesting to see.
FredMcGriff for the HOF
@calcentines. I heard Baez was offered a 180 million extension that he passed on. I also heard the Cubbies lowballed Rizzo with a 4 year 60 million extension offer….
ABCD
Baez will be lucky to get half that but he will still be a very rich man.
ABCD
I also find it hard to believe Baez was offered that much. Yelich got about that much in new money in his extension with the Brewers.
nyy17 2
This continues the disturbing trend of players who have hard consonants in their names being released. I bet Kevan Smith is next to go.
Stephen Vogt’s name is less harsh, so his job is probably safe.
wkkortas
If Matt den Dekker was still in The Show, he’d be next in line.
jessaumodesto
Remember when the A’s were giving up their best prospects for Lucroy?
taran7
Funny how they say some people hitting .236 are having great seasons but .249 is a swift decline. .249 is the new .300 in this horrific offensive third-base- plays- short- right era.
CalcetinesBlancos
It’s because his OBP and slugging are also crap.
DarkSide830
yeah i dont get the “swift” part. more like consistent.
Codeeg
I still remember the article that said he was more valuable than trout, how quickly that changed.
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
I don’t get it, Lucroy was an excellent catcher & hitter, yet teams picked him up, let him go, picked him up, let him go. I hope he’s tarried up enough through all that to put his kids through college.& buy a MacDonald’s franchise. Baseball looks pretty crappy to me right now.