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Jonathan Lucroy

Quick Hits: Pirates, Lucroy, Archer, Red Sox, Dodgers

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The Pirates surrendered the third-fewest runs in baseball last year, when center fielder Andrew McCutchen and left fielder Starling Marte lined up deeper than most at their respective positions, but the data-driven Bucs are experimenting with a shallower outfield alignment this season in hopes of allowing even less scoring. “Reviewing the numbers last year, there was so much collateral damage done in front of us last year — balls that fell in, extra bases that were taken by guys trying to get to balls,” manager Clint Hurdle said (via Adam Berry of MLB.com). “It was glaringly apparent that we could make an adjustment on our end, especially with the athleticism we have with our outfielders, and change the dynamic of what’s gone on as far as run prevention goes,” he continued. Both McCutchen and Marte have taken to the changes, according to Hurdle. “You give them the numbers, you show them the charts, you show them where damage is done or not done. They’re really good about understanding and trusting.”

More from around the majors:

  • Robinson Chirinos’ fractured forearm put the Rangers’ already below-average catcher situation in an even worse position than it was in previously, though they have not engaged in any recent discussions with the Brewers about Jonathan Lucroy, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). The Rangers have been linked to the Brewers as a potential trade partner for Lucroy since the offseason. General manager Jon Daniels said the team did its “due diligence” on outside options in the aftermath of Chirinos’ Saturday night injury, but not for a “major” addition, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
  • Rays ace Chris Archer has stumbled out of the gate with a a 7.20 ERA in his first two starts this year while experiencing a dip in velocity, but he feels fine and doesn’t believe concern is warranted. “I’ve seen some headlines, and it’s comical, “because I was throwing 92-96 (mph) last game instead of 94-97, and it’s a big deal,” he said (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). “My slider was 85-88 instead of 86-90 and it’s a big deal. And I don’t know why. I think people just need something to talk about, something to write about, something to justify me not having the greatest start.”
  • The Red Sox’s Class-A team, Salem, boasts the most talented roster in the minor leagues, Jim Callis of MLB.com opines in a piece highlighting the minors’ premier clubs. Boston has three of MLBPipeline.com’s 25 best prospects in Salem – second baseman Yoan Moncada (No. 6), third baseman Rafael Devers (No. 16) and outfielder Andrew Benintendi (No. 24) – as well as breakout candidates in righty Travis Lakins, middle infielder Mauricio Dubon and first baseman Nick Longhi, Callis writes.
  • Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal and second baseman Howie Kendrick have completed their injury rehab assignments and should be active for the team’s home opener Tuesday, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The Dodgers will have to make a couple roster moves with both coming back, as Plunkett notes, putting Austin Barnes’ spot in jeopardy. On whether the Dodgers would keep Barnes on the roster, thus giving them three catchers, manager Dave Roberts said, “We’re kind of playing with some different scenarios.”

Robinson Chirinos’ Fractured Forearm Could Lead Rangers To Trade Market

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12:03pm: Chirinos will be out ten to 12 weeks, Grant tweets. Also, Shin-Soo Choo will miss four to six weeks with a Grade 2 calf strain. Choo’s injury has led to speculation about the possible promotion of top prospect Nomar Mazara, but the Rangers have yet to make an announcement about possible roster moves.

9:18am: Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos got hit by a pitch Saturday night and has fractured his forearm, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. Chirinos will be out for at least a month. The Rangers have already had problems with their catching depth this year, leading to a spring trade for Bryan Holaday of the Tigers, and Chirinos’ latest injury could have them heading to the trade market yet again.

“We’ve got a good start with Holaday here,” says manager Jeff Banister. “We are working through all of our other options right now. We’ve got limited, but multiple options.”

Chirinos hit a solid .232/.325/.438 for the Rangers last season and was off to a good start in 2016, so his loss is a relatively significant one. Chris Gimenez and Michael McKenry would normally be possibilities to replace him in the short term, as Grant notes, but Gimenez is recovering from a bacterial infection and McKenry has an abdominal strain. Brett Nicholas, who has never played in the big leagues but who split time between catcher and first base at Triple-A Round Rock last year, is healthy, but would require a 40-man roster move.

Grant thinks the Rangers could look to the trade market, possibly re-acquiring Bobby Wilson (who they shipped to Detroit in the Holaday deal and who’s currently playing for Triple-A Toledo). There’s also the possibility that Chirinos’ injury could spur the Rangers to make a bigger trade for a higher-profile talent like Jonathan Lucroy or Derek Norris, in whom they’ve had interest in the past.

NL Central Notes: Lucroy, Bruce, Schwarber, Pirates

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Here’s the latest from around the NL Central…

  • The Brewers were talking with the Astros and Braves about a three-team trade involving Jonathan Lucroy last month, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.  Houston made an attempt at Lucroy earlier in the offseason, as previously reported by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, and the club has also been linked to Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte.  This isn’t to say that Inciarte was also necessarily part of this three-team proposal, of course, as Atlanta’s role in the trade could’ve taken any number of forms.
  • Lucroy has been the subject of many trade rumors this winter, to the point that he and his family don’t have living arrangements in Milwaukee settled yet since he presumed he was going to be dealt.  “It’s all out of your control. But communication is a big thing. I’d like to be kept up to date what’s going on. It’s not like I’m going to spread it all around, I just want to know when it’s coming, when to expect it,” the longtime Brewers catcher said.
  • Also from Nightengale’s piece, he notes that the Reds were willing to pay roughly $8MM of Jay Bruce’s $12.5MM salary as part of the abandoned three-team trade that would’ve sent Bruce to the Blue Jays, Michael Saunders to the Angels and prospects to Cincinnati.  It was expected that the Reds would have to eat some money in any Bruce deal, given that the outfielder is coming off two consecutive subpar seasons.  Saunders is making $2.9MM in 2016, so adding Bruce would’ve cost Toronto around $1.6MM in extra salary (not counting the $1MM buyout of Bruce’s $13MM club option for 2017).
  • Like Lucroy, Bruce is also rather surprised to still be with his original team given all of the trade speculation.  He reiterated that he would prefer to stay with the Reds, and blames his recent “pretty poor” play for threatening his long-term future in Cincinnati.  (Though it could be argued that if Bruce had been hitting more, the Reds would’ve been able to move him sooner.)  “In order for me to have a chance to stay here, I need to play better.  We’ll see what happens.  I never changed my sentiment, wanting to be part of this for the long haul….But obviously, I have to do my part to even have a chance,” Bruce said.
  • Kyle Schwarber could be a personal catcher for Jason Hammel this season, CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney writes, as the Cubs are looking for ways to get Schwarber’s bat into the lineup whenever possible.  Schwarber’s defensive future has been the subject of much debate, as he’s scheduled to see most of his playing time in left field this year even though his fielding prowess is still a question mark.  It’s also unclear if Schwarber can handle being a regular catcher, though with Miguel Montero and David Ross ahead of him on Chicago’s catching depth chart, he could be eased into the position for just Hammel’s starts.  Being removed from too much grind behind the plate could actually benefit Schwarber, Mooney notes, by helping him stay healthy.
  • The Pirates hired James Harris as a special assistant to baseball operations in February, and Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review examines how the hiring is an example of how the Bucs are willing to look outside of baseball for ways to build their organization.  Harris specializes in fitness and nutrition techniques and he has spent much of his career in football, including the last decade working with Chip Kelly both at the University of Oregon and with the NFL’s Eagles.  Harris’ lack of baseball experience wasn’t a big factor for Pirates GM Neal Huntington, as the goal for any athlete is about “maximizing performance.  How do we help this player get better every day and perform as consistently as possible?“

Rangers Content With Current Catching Situation

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The Rangers have reportedly been in the market for a catcher in recent weeks, but that search has apparently been put on the back burner.  On Sunday, Texas GM Jon Daniels indicated that he will not be adding another catcher between now and Opening Day, as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes.

“At this point I anticipate both our catchers are in camp,” Daniels said. “We are open if there is a true improvement to the team, but we’re not going to change for change’s sake.”

Daniels admitted that he has talked “a little bit” with rival teams about acquiring a catcher, but Sullivan gleans that the asking prices for Derek Norris and Jonathan Lucroy have simply been too high.  Ultimately then, the Rangers will head into April with Robinson Chirinos behind the dish and a handful of veteran catchers jostling for the No. 2 job.

But, aside from Bobby Wilson, Chris Gimenez, and Michael McKenry, Sullivan notes that 2010 sixth-round pick Brett Nicholas has looked strong in camp and could also find his way on to the roster.  Daniels says that the team wasn’t sure what they had in Nicholas but his performance as of late has the club viewing him as “a big league-capable catcher.”  On the other hand, Nicholas can be stashed in the minors whereas the team’s trio of veterans probably can’t.  Gimenez is out-of-options and Wilson and McKenry have opt-out opportunities if they’re not on the big league roster.

In a perfect world, the Rangers would probably prefer to have Lucroy or Norris to shore things up behind the plate, but they are not presently willing to meet the demands of the Brewers or Padres in order to make a trade happen.  The salaries of both players ($4MM and $2.9MM), respectively, are also factors.  Even though those are relatively modest sums, the team is already said to be well over their projected payroll thanks to the Ian Desmond signing.

Rangers Exploring Catching Market, Showing Interest In Derek Norris

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The Rangers are “surveying the market for a possible catching addition,” three sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. While the Rangers have had interest in Jonathan Lucroy all offseason, Grant cites another source in reporting that the Padres’ Derek Norris is a likelier target at this stage.

Norris, 27, is more affordable for the 2016 season ($2.9MM versus Lucroy’s $4MM), and he’s under control through the 2018 season, whereas Lucroy is controlled only through the 2017 campaign (by virtue of a club option following the upcoming season). While the $1.1MM difference between their 2016 seasons appears largely trivial relative to big league payrolls, Grant notes that the Rangers have already exceeded their projected payroll by $7MM (in large part due to their late signing of Ian Desmond).

Though he had somewhat of a down season at the plate last year, hitting .250/.305/.404, Norris has plenty of bat for the position and has amassed a .256/.333/.405 slash line dating back to 2013 despite playing his home games in the pitcher-friendly confines of Oakland’s O.Co Coliseum and San Diego’s Petco Park. He’s caught 27 percent of opposing base-stealers in the Majors, including a career-best 34 percent with the Padres in 2015. And, he delivered quality framing numbers last season in the eyes of Baseball Prospectus.

From the Padres’ vantage point, catching is a position of depth. Not only does the club have an experienced option in Norris, the club also has a pair of young backstops in the form of Austin Hedges and Christian Bethancourt. Each player has rated among the game’s top 100 prospects as recently as last offseason, though both did struggle in the Majors in 2015. The 23-year-old Hedges, considered one of the best defensive catching prospects in baseball, tallied 152 plate appearances in 2015 but batted a mere .168/.215/.248 in that stretch. Hedges tallied just enough plate appearances to surpass his rookie status, thus making him ineligible for prospect lists, but his defensive prowess and solid production in limited time at Triple-A in 2015 would’ve likely kept him ranked near the top of the Padres’ list of farmhands.

Bethancourt, like Hedges, has eclipsed rookie status despite struggles in the Majors. Acquired in an offseason swap with the Braves, the 24-year-old has hit just .219/.245/.283 in 278 big league plate appearances across the past few seasons with Atlanta. However, Bethancourt hit .327/.359/.480 in 218 Triple-A plate appearances last year and has received grades of 70 to 80 for his arm behind the plate (on the 20-80 scale). However, passed ball issues that some scouts believed he’d eventually correct never improved, resulting in an alarming 14 passed balls in just 73 games last season. Because he’s out of minor league options, Bethancourt will have to be placed on the Padres’ 25-man roster at the end of Spring Training or be exposed to waivers.

This won’t be the first time that Norris’ name has surfaced in trade talks. The Padres reportedly shopped both Norris and Hedges around a bit at the Winter Meetings, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported back in November. More recently (in February, to be exact), Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said that the Padres were still exploring deals for Norris in Matt Kemp. If the Rangers add Norris, Grant writes, it would allow them to lessen the workload of Robinson Chirinos, perhaps starting him in 70 to 80 games with Norris taking on a slightly larger workload. Internal options for the Rangers would include Michael McKenry, Bobby Wilson and Chris Gimenez. Tigers backstop Bryan Holaday has also seen his name surface in trade rumors recently, as he looks to be third on the Detroit depth chart and is out of minor league options.

AL Notes: Athletics, Lucroy, Eveland

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The Athletics’ collection of infield prospects will be key to the organization’s future, MLB.com’s Jim Callis writes. Seven of the Athletics’ top eight prospects — Franklin Barreto, Matt Olson, Richie Martin, Renato Nunez, Matt Chapman, Yairo Munoz and Chad Pinder — play in the infield. All except Martin appear likely to start the year in Double-A or Triple-A. “The future of our organization really resides in that core group,” says A’s farm director Keith Lieppman. “There’s a real intent to get them exposed to as much as possible. Whether they go up later in the year or up in 2017, we have a crop of guys in Double-A and Triple-A who are all going to have an opportunity to make the A’s competitive in the future.” As Callis notes, the amount of infield talent in the A’s system raises questions about whether the ever-active Billy Beane could deal from that surplus — he’s already traded top infield prospects Addison Russell and Daniel Robertson in recent seasons. Here’s more from the AL.

  • The Rangers still have interest in adding Jonathan Lucroy, tweets FOX’s Ken Rosenthal, but they haven’t had recent discussions with the Brewers about the former All-Star catcher. The Astros and Athletics have also had some interest in Lucroy, Rosenthal notes. It’s rare but not unprecedented to see a player of Lucroy’s caliber dealt at this juncture of Spring Training; last year the Braves sent Craig Kimbrel to the Padres the night before Opening Day, for instance.
  • Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune spoke to left-hander Dana Eveland, who is in camp with the Rays on a minor league deal in hopes of making the ’pen as a second lefty behind Xavier Cedeno. Eveland candidly admitted to Mooney that he wasn’t too excited by the prospect of pitching for the Rays earlier this offseason, as he’d hoped to land with a club that played its spring games in Arizona (near his southern California home) — preferably an NL team. However, Eveland went to camp with an open mind and a curiosity about how the Rays have done so well in the division over the past decade despite their modest payroll, and he’s quite happy in his new environment. “There is obviously something they do well here on the developmental side,” said Eveland. “I was curious. I want to know: Am I going to be a better pitcher if I spend a year in this organization or for however long it’s going to be?” The 32-year-old Eveland said that he’s willing to go to Triple-A, though he hopes to break camp with the team. If he does make the team, he could be retained via arbitration this offseason, as he has four years and 55 days of big league service time.

Cafardo’s Latest: Analytics, Archer, Soler, Lucroy, Byrd

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John Henry’s recent comments about how the Red Sox have “perhaps overly relied on numbers” in recent years and became too focused on analytics drew quite a bit of reaction from around baseball, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo writes.  MLB Network’s Brian Kenny believes “the enemy of the Red Sox is impatience, not analytics,” noting that properly analyzing the numbers could’ve told Boston that Jackie Bradley or Rusney Castillo wouldn’t be stars overnight, or that Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval were risky signings.  On the other hand, some scouts praised the Sox for their apparent turn to traditional evaluation over sabermetrics.  The Red Sox have been at the forefront of the analytics movement over the last 15 years, so if they succeed in this new direction, Cafardo wonders if other teams could follow suit.  Here’s more from Cafardo’s latest column…

  • Cafardo points to one notable victory for scouting over analytics from 2011, when the Rays’ then-top scout convinced Andrew Friedman to obtain Chris Archer as part of the eight-player blockbuster that sent Matt Garza to the Cubs.  The scout was sold on Archer, while Friedman’s analytics evaluation were pointing him towards righty Chris Carpenter, who ended up pitching only 15 2/3 innings at the MLB level.
  • There’s still “a lot of interest” in Jorge Soler on the trade market, which is an option for the Cubs as they sort out their crowded outfield.  With Dexter Fowler rather unexpectedly returning to Chicago, the Cubs have Jason Heyward playing every day in right (or sometimes center) and then Fowler, Soler, Kyle Schwarber and possibly minor league signee Shane Victorino all juggling for playing time, plus Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez also capable of playing left.
  • The Brewers are still considering a Jonathan Lucroy trade, as “there’s still buzz in the scouting community” that a deal could come in Spring Training.  Lucroy would have to prove himself healthy in the wake of a 2015 season shortened by a concussion and a fractured toe.  If he looks good in Cactus League action, that could be enough for another team to pull the trigger on a deal.
  • It’s been a quiet offseason for Marlon Byrd rumors, as Cafardo notes that the veteran outfielder “isn’t getting much love on the market.”  Interest in Byrd could pick up as teams sort through their roster options, however, and Cafardo lists the Angels, Blue Jays and Orioles as speculative fits.  Byrd had 24 homers and an .847 OPS as recently as the 2013 season, but while he’s still managed to hit for power (48 homers) over the last two years, the 38-year-old’s batting average and OBP have fallen off considerably.

West Notes: Rollins, Giants, Lucroy, Astros, Angels

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The Giants had interest in Jimmy Rollins before the veteran infielder ultimately agreed to a minor league deal with the White Sox, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Rosenthal adds that the Giants would have used Rollins as a super utility player, taking advantage of his ability to switch-hit. Via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area (on Twitter), Giants GM Bobby Evans has confirmed the Giants were quite interested in Rollins, although they couldn’t promise the kind of playing time he would be able to get in Chicago (which has a considerably less stable shortstop situation). Here’s more from the West divisions.

  • In other news about player acquisitions that never came to be, Rosenthal tweets that the Astros tried to acquire Jonathan Lucroy from the Brewers last month but were not able to come to terms. Jason Castro is eligible for free agency following the 2016 and Lucroy is controllable for an additional year (and for a very modest $5.25MM or a $250K buyout), so perhaps it’s no surprise that David Stearns’ former employers called him about a possible trade.
  • The Angels would prefer to have more lefty relief help, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes. They’re without a lefty specialist, and the only lefty who currently figures to be in their bullpen is Jose Alvarez. The team does have additional lefty bullpen candidates in Lucas Luetge and Rob Rasmussen. “To have a lefty specialist available is a tool you’d like you to have in bullpen, but we’ll see where we are,” says manager Mike Scioscia. Fletcher doesn’t say whether the Angels actually plan to pursue more lefties, but even if they do, perhaps the issue isn’t so pressing. Unsurprisingly, the free agent market is a bit thin, and Scioscia and the Angels have gotten very good results with heavily right-handed bullpens in the past, such as their 2003 and 2004 ’pens, which were elite very limited contributions from left-handers.

NL Central Notes: Brewers, Lucroy, Molina, Cards, McCutchen

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Brewers GM David Stearns laughed when told by Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he’s earned the nickname “Dealin’ Dave” on the heels of making nine trades to acquire 16 new players this offfseason. Haudricourt runs down all of the names acquired by Stearns, who shared a bit of insight into his general offseason approach with Haudricourt. “There’s a strength-in-numbers approach with pitching,” explained Stearns, who has acquired six pitchers via trade this winter. “Part of that is due to the increased injury risk associated with pitchers. We’re trying to stockpile good arms. I think most importantly we’re trying to stockpile guys who’ve proven they can throw strikes. We’ve been able to do that through some of these transactions.” Stearns went on to add that Jonathan Lucroy’s status hasn’t been impacted by the addition of a fairly highly touted catching prospect in Jacob Nottingham, acquired in the Khris Davis trade over the weekend. As Stearns notes, Nottingham spent last season at Class-A and can’t be expected to contribute in the Majors in the immediate future.

More notes from the NL Central…

  • The Cardinals are open to adding another catcher as a depth option on the eve of Spring Training, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but Yadier Molina and the team are both hopeful that he can be ready for the season opener. Molina, who underwent a second thumb surgery in December after his October operation did not fix the injury in his hand, tells Goold that he has no doubt that the second surgery healed the issue, citing improved performance in range-of-motion and strengthening exercises on the hand. Molina could still be two weeks away from catching, Goold notes, and that step will come before Molina progresses to hitting. If he’s not ready to open the season, offseason addition Brayan Pena will begin the year as the club’s starter. St. Louis has added veteran Eric Fryer on a minor league deal and could bring him north as the backup to Pena if Molina isn’t ready, and it stands to reason that any external addition to the catching mix would be cut from the same cloth.
  • Goold appeared on MLB Network’s Hot Stove show this morning and talked Cardinals (video link), discussing Molina, Adam Wainwright and the team’s mix of players at first base. If Wainwright is limited at all this season after missing much of last year due to an Achilles injury, the limitations will come in Spring Training as opposed to during the regular season, Goold said. He adds that the Cardinals “want to see if the Brandon Moss that they have is the Brandon Moss of a few years ago — the guy who over the last four years has averaged 24 home runs per year. “ Goold went on to add: “The guy who hits most is going to play most at first base. The guy who hits for the most power is going to play the most at first base.” Moss is joined by Matt Adams and Stephen Piscotty in the first base column on the depth chart.
  • Andrew McCutchen said again on Monday that his hope is to spend his entire career with the Pirates, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. McCutchen, who turned 29 in October, has been the face of the Bucs’ franchise for much of his career and is under contract for three more seasons at a total of $41.5MM (only $28MM of that is guaranteed; Pittsburgh has a $14.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout for McCutchen in 2018).

Reactions To The Khris Davis Trade

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The Athletics acquired outfielder Khris Davis  from the Brewers yesterday for prospects Jacob Nottingham and Bubba Derby. The A’s also designated pitcher Sean Nolin in a related move. Here is a sampling of the reactions to and effects of the deal.

  • Brewers GM David Stearns doesn’t expect to make any deals between now and the first day of Spring Training, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Pitchers and catchers report to camp next Sunday. In my opinion, the club does seem to have an opportunity to buy low on a free agent outfielder if they would rather give recent acquisition Rymer Liriano more competition than Kirk Nieuwenhuis or Keon Broxton.
  • In another tweet, Haudricourt relays that the acquisition of Nottingham has no direct effect on Jonathan Lucroy’s status with the team. Nottingham had a successful campaign in High-A last season, but he’s at least one year away from reaching the majors. Given the direction of the Brewers’ rebuild, Lucroy seems to destined to find a new home as soon as he proves himself healthy and effective.
  • The trade made sense in a formulaic way, writes Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs. The A’s had a role for an outfielder while the Brewers are busy acquiring prospects and players with upside. Sullivan provides some background about Davis, noting his ability to slug without steep platoon splits. He ranked in the top five percent of hitters in bat exit velocity on liners and fly balls. In other words, when he makes contact, it’s hard. That could help him to fit into spacious O.Co Coliseum.
  • ESPN’s Christina Kahrl also likes the trade for both teams. As she notes, affordable power hitters are few and far between, making this a rare opportunity for Oakland. Davis is under club control for four more seasons and has yet to reach arbitration. The Brewers farm system was recently rated fifth by ESPN’s Keith Law prior to the trade. The club is poised to rebound quickly from their tear down. They may possibly dodge the scariest years of the new Cubs juggernaut in the process.
  • Nottingham is an offense first catcher, but he’s still one of the best catching prospects, says Jim Callis of MLB.com (video). His power and hitting ability could potentially play at another position if he doesn’t stick behind the dish. Meanwhile, Derby is described as a undersized pitcher who could start or convert into a setup role.
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