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Jonathan Lucroy

Jonathan Lucroy Exercises No-Trade Clause, Vetoes Deal To Indians

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11:25am: Hoynes reports that the Indians weren’t planning on cutting Lucroy’s playing time in 2017. Hoynes’ source indicated to him that the club wouldn’t have been willing to part with the level of talent it had agreed to without having every intention of allowing Lucroy to start behind the plate (links to Twitter).

10:35am: Brewers GM David Stearns tells reporters that Lucroy talks with the Indians are “totally dead” (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy), while Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that the Indians are no longer negotiating with Lucroy.

10:29am: Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter) that Lucroy asked the Indians to void his 2017 club option in order to hit the open market at the end of the season in order to approve the deal (Twitter link). Understandably, Cleveland was in no way willing to meet that request, as the option is a significant factor in Lucroy’s value to the club. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, meanwhile reports that the Indians weren’t promising Lucroy that he’d be their starting catcher in 2017, which gave him pause in approving the deal. Cleveland planned to rotate Lucroy between catcher, first base and DH in 2017.

10:15am: ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that the efforts to convince Lucroy to approve the trade will continue, so the book on the proposed trade may not be fully closed just yet. Lucroy, it should be noted, is on one of the most team-friendly contracts in Major League Baseball, and teams will often utilize financial incentives to convince players to waive no-trade clauses. An extension or at least a restructuring of his 2017 salary ($5.25MM) could make sense, though that’s simply speculation on my behalf.

9:58am: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Jonathan Lucroy has exercised his no-trade clause and vetoed a trade that would have sent him to the Indians in exchange for four prospects (Twitter link).

It was reported last night that the Brewers and Indians had agreed to a trade sending Lucroy to Cleveland in exchange for four minor leaguers: catcher Francisco Mejia, shortstop Yu-Cheng Chang, outfielder Greg Allen and right-hander Shawn Armstrong. However, despite repeated statements about his desire to play for a contending club, Lucroy has chosen not to play for the Indians, who were one of the eight teams to which he could veto a trade under his contract’s limited no-trade provision.

Of course, the fact that Lucroy didn’t approve this trade doesn’t ensure that he’ll be remaining with Milwaukee. There are 21 teams to which Lucroy cannot block a deal, and two of those clubs — the Rangers and Mets — have both been linked to him frequently within the past week. For the time being, however, Lucroy will remain with the only organization he’s ever known, as GM David Stearns and his staff determine the next-best course of action.

If Cleveland still wants to acquire another catcher, there’s not shortage of available options. Division-rival Kurt Suzuki of the Twins figures to be available and is in the midst of a strong offensive season, while the Padres’ Derek Norris is also widely known to be available. Neither represents the upgrade that Lucroy would have to the Cleveland roster, but considering the dearth of production from incumbent options Yan Gomes (who is now injured), Chris Gimenez and Roberto Perez, a catching acquisition still seems like it would be prudent for the Indians, who are in clear go-for-it mode after acquiring Andrew Miller this morning.

Brewers, Indians Reach Agreement On Jonathan Lucroy Trade; Lucroy Must Waive No-Trade Clause

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JULY 31: MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reports that right-hander Shawn Armstrong is also a part of the proposed Lucroy package (Twitter link). The 25-year-old has risen through Cleveland’s minor league ranks and posted gaudy strikeout totals along the way to serving as the closer for the Indians’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliate in recent seasons. Armstrong reached the Majors for the first time in 2015 and has an inning there in 2016 as well. In total, he’s yielded three runs with an 11-to-2 K/BB ratio in nine big league innings, and he has a 2.46 ERA in 95 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. Armstrong does struggle with his control, as evidenced by the fact that he’s walked 5.7 hitters per nine innings in his time at Triple-A. However, he’s also averaged 13.7 strikeouts per nine at that level and comes with a career 12.1 K/9 rate in the minors.

JULY 30, 11:08pm: Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports tweets that top catching prospect Francisco Mejia would head to the Brewers in the deal. Rosenthal tweets that shortstop Yu-Cheng Chang and outfielder Greg Allen are going to the Brewers as well, if he approves the trade.

11:00pm: The Brewers will get a fourth player as well, per Rosenthal, though the fourth prospect is of lesser quality. The trade will be four players going to Milwaukee in exchange for Lucroy. No others will be going to Cleveland, despite previous rumors of the Indians’ interest in Milwaukee’s relief corps.

10:48pm: The Brewers and Indians have reached an agreement on a trade that will send Jonathan Lucroy to Cleveland if Lucroy will waive his no-trade clause to approve the deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Rosenthal adds that Milwaukee will receive three players if the trade ultimately goes through. Lucroy has spent his entire career with the Brewers since being selected in the third round of the 2007 draft, so the decision almost certainly presents him with some mixed feelings. However, Lucroy has stated on multiple occasions this year that his strong preference is to play for a contending club, and the Indians certainly fit that bill at the moment, as they hold a 4.5 game lead over the American League Central division.

"<strongThe 30-year-old Lucroy represents a massive upgrade to a Cleveland catching corps that has been the least productive in baseball this season. Indians catchers Yan Gomes, Chris Gimenez and Roberto Perez have provided sound defense this season but batted a combined .168/.215/.289 on the year, which has more than mitigated the group’s defensive work. Beyond that trio’s lack of production, Gomes is currently sidelined by a separated shoulder which, as of July 18, was expected to keep him on the shelf for four to eight weeks. Getting Lucroy from Milwaukee would give Cleveland a backstop that has slashed a brilliant .300/.360/.484 with 13 homers, 17 doubles and three triples on the year, quieting any concerns about his ability to rebound from a concussion sustained late in the 2015 season.

In addition to his terrific work at the plate, Lucroy is among the game’s best behind the plate as well. He’s halted 40 percent of stolen-base attempts against him this season and has long graded out as one of the game’s best pitch-framers, per Baseball Prospectus. Their metric has him in the midst of a down season in terms of stealing extra strikes for his pitchers, though even a “down” season for Lucroy simply means he’s been about average in that regard. And beyond his on-field performance, Lucroy is valuable in that he is eminently affordable; he’s earning just $4MM in 2016, and a $5.25MM club option for the 2017 season only adds to his allure.

The addition of Lucroy could present some moderate roster construction issues for the Indians, as Gomes himself is under a long-term deal, having inked a six-year, $23MM extension in Spring Training 2014. Gomes is slated to earn $4.5MM next season, and while that salary isn’t exactly prohibitive, it’s probably more than the Indians would like to pay a player that will be relegated to a backup role with them. The team’s projected 2016 backup, Perez, could find himself pushed off the 25-man roster entirely in 2017 with Lucroy added to the fold. For the time being, Lucroy figures to split catching duties with one of Perez or Gimenez. The latter of those two is out of minor league options and would need to be exposed to waivers in order to be sent to the minors, and given Perez’s woeful 1-for-33 start to the season — he only recently returned from a hand injury — Gimenez strikes me as the likelier of the duo to serve as Lucroy’s backup.

Mejia, 20, is one of the most highly regarded catching prospects in all of minor league baseball and ranked 70th on the midseason Top 100 prospects list published by Baseball America. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, in fact, tweets that the Brewers insisted that one of Mejia, Clint Frazier or Bradley Zimmer be included in the deal, so it’s clear that Milwaukee holds him in high regard. Mejia has split the season between Class-A and Class-A Advanced and entered play Saturday with a combined .344/.374/.524 slash before going 1-for-4 to extend his current minor league hitting streak to an amazing 42 games. He’s matched Lucroy’s 40 percent caught-stealing rate this season between his two stops, and Baseball America notes that he’s made improvements with the bat and the glove in 2016 (specifically in blocking pitches). MLB.com notes that the switch-hitter makes consistent hard contact and has good bat speed from both sides of the plate, leading to plenty of raw power. He has the upside to be an everyday catcher that is at least an average defender, they add.

Chang, also 20 and also playing at Class-A Advanced Lynchburg, is hitting .273/.347/.493 with a dozen homers and 10 steals on the season through 94 games. BA has him 10th among Cleveland farmhands on their midseason update, and he’s 12th on MLB.com’s midseason Indians top 30. Chang draws more praise for his above-average raw power than his glovework, as MLB.com points out that he has only an average arm which may not play at shortstop long-term. Even if he moves to second base or third base, though, the Taiwanese infielder has a chance to hit enough to carry value there.

Allen is the oldest prospect of the bunch at 23 years of age. Up until recently, he too was stationed at Lynchburg, but he recently moved up to Double-A Akron on the heels of an excellent .298/.424/.402 slash in Class-A Advanced. Allen’s calling card is clearly his speed, as he swiped 38 bases in 92 games with Lynchburg and snatched 46 bags in 126 games in 2015. He didn’t crack BA’s Top 10 Indians prospects, but they did make sure to highlight him as a rising prospect in the system. MLB.com ranks him 22nd, citing a lack of power but above-average speed and defensive skills in center field. Allen gives the Brewers’ system a potential top-of-the-order hitter down the line, and the fact that he’s walked nearly as many times as he’s fanned throughout his minor league career (140 vs. 143) speaks volumes about his plate discipline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Indians Are “Distinct Favorites” For Jonathan Lucroy; Mets, Rangers Out

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10:40pm: The Indians are the “distinct favorites” to acquire Lucroy from the Brewers, reports Yahoo’s Jeff Passan (on Twitter), who adds that the Mets and Rangers are “out” on Lucroy.

7:58pm: A mystery team remains in the mix for Lucroy, according to Heyman (Twitter link). The unknown team is not on Lucroy’s no-trade list, he adds. Rosenthal hears the same, tweeting that there’s a third team in play along with the Indians and Mets.

5:05pm: The Rangers are out on Lucroy and the Mets didn’t make any headway on talks with the Brewers today, per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). Cleveland is looking more and more like the favorite, he notes.

4:40pm: The Brewers are “getting close” to a Lucroy trade, and the Indians are still in the mix, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Notably, Cleveland is on Lucroy’s no-trade list, though it’s not clear how much (if at all) that fact would impede talks. Lucroy has stated his desire to play for a winning club multiple times this year, and Cleveland has a 4.5 game lead on the AL Central.

4:34pm: Rosenthal tweets that a pair of rival general managers believe the Indians to be the front-runners for Lucroy. Rosenthal mentions Class-A catcher Francisco Mejia as a possible component in a Lucroy package.

3:43pm: Manager Craig Counsell tells reporters that GM David Stearns is “progressing” on a Lucroy trade (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that there is a “strong sense” among some Brewers officials that Lucroy has played his final game for the team.

3:31pm: Lucroy isn’t in the lineup tonight, and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that he is not playing because he is being discussed in trades.

2:00pm: The Mets have made a three-player offer to the Brewers in a bid to land catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. That package would be centered around current Mets receiver Travis d’Arnaud, with outfielder Brandon Nimmo or a “comparable” player constituting the second player on offer.

Previous reports had suggested that New York fell shy in its initial bid for Lucroy, which reportedly also was built on the talented but fragile d’Arnaud. He comes with three years of arb control and has long been regarded as a top catching prospect, so Milwaukee would be swapping in a longer-term solution behind the plate — if it believes in him.

Though d’Arnaud has showed his talent at times, he has also already been shelved with injuries at times and hasn’t yet put it all together at the plate. After a strong showing in 2015, d’Arnaud has fallen back to a .238/.291/.323 batting line with a pair of home runs in his 141 plate appearances this season.

As for Nimmo, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that Milwaukee is “fond” of the 23-year-old, who has reached the majors for the first time this year. He hasn’t shown much in his brief action in the bigs, but has enjoyed something of a breakout year at Triple-A, where he owns a .336/.409/.517 slash that dwarfs his prior output while rising through the system.

There certainly appear to be many other teams still in pursuit of Lucroy. The Brewers reportedly asked interested teams to submit bids for the outstanding receiver, whose highly favorable contract includes another year of cheap control. Lucroy received plenty of attention in the rumor mill yesterday, with a range of teams — including those of the mysterious variety — said to be sniffing around.

It’s not yet clear, though, what kinds of offers Milwaukee has fielded from other organizations. The club has placed an understandably high asking price on a player who is one of the best in the majors at a premium defensive position. There may not be any single team that has a desperate need for him, but as the Mets’ interest shows, clubs looking for ways to make and succeed in the postseason always have cause to pursue upgrades, and Lucroy is the type of player who can push out even a perfectly solid regular.

Position Player Notes: Beltran, Norris, Pearce, Jay

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The Indians have had some talks with the Yankees about veteran right fielder Carlos Beltran, among other players, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Though Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has previously stated that financial considerations won’t be a major factor in the team’s deadline moves, Heyman suggests that may not be the case. Beltran is earning $15MM this year, with about $5.5MM left to go the rest of the way.

  • Another American League contender, the Rangers, have also approached the Yankees on Beltran, per MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter). While Texas could certainly decide to plug a big bat onto its roster with Prince Fielder down for the year, it seems that its interest in Beltran isn’t terribly strong at present.
  • We’ve heard chatter suggesting that the Rangers could look at Jonathan Lucroy, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says that’s not likely (Twitter link). Padres receiver Derek Norris, though, could be in play for Texas, per the report. That’s not exactly a new link — the sides were said to be weighing a deal this spring — but we haven’t seen clear indications of present interest.
  • While the Mets like Steve Pearce, the cost of acquisition is too high at present, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. The veteran slugger would certainly add some punch to a moribund Mets lineup, though he wouldn’t address the team’s new need for a right-handed-hitting center fielder now that Juan Lagares is headed for surgery. But Pearce would help fill in for Jose Reyes, who could require a DL stint, and would also represent a platoon option at any infield position but shortstop as well as the corner outfield.
  • One under-the-radar name to watch in the next few days is Padres outfielder Jon Jay. While he won’t return before the deadline, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says (Twitter links) that he’s still drawing interest. The Pads would surely prefer to wait for him to resume playing, but passing the affordable veteran through waivers may prove a challenge, so the best value may be found now — even if Jay won’t command quite what he would have had he remained healthy to this point.

Latest On Jonathan Lucroy Sweepstakes

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10:54pm: The Rangers could view a strike for Lucroy as a way to improve their pitching, given his highly-regarded work behind the plate, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. With Texas finding high asking prices on the pitching market, the report suggests, the club could make a move for a group of Milwaukee pieces that might include Lucroy, a quality reliever, and possibly even a starter.

3:41pm: There’s a mystery team involved on Lucroy, tweets Jon Heyman of Fan Rag, and it isn’t the Red Sox or the Mariners. Those two clubs would certainly have been among the plausible suitors for the veteran.

2:49pm: The Braves have inquired on Lucroy, according to Rosenthal (via Twitter). At present, though, it doesn’t appear as if the sides are likely to strike a deal. Atlanta’s interest is limited, it seems, because it would need to extend the veteran receiver in order to justify trading him.

The teams is “wary of paying twice” — first in the swap, then in a hypothetical extension — though certainly that’s the price of poker when  just a fact of life for a club that would competing with teams that have a much higher present need for a top-quality backstop. It’s no sure thing, either, that Lucroy himself would agree to a new contract.

12:29pm: Yesterday, Milwaukee asked teams with interest to make offers of a certain “minimum standard,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). It’s not entirely clear whether the request was for best and final offers, but Rosenthal adds that discussions are still taking place.

Among several teams to put their chips on the table are the Mets, per the report. With the Brewers still evaluating their options, multiple teams remain in the hunt.

11:27am: Jonathan Lucroy is one of the most talked-about names on the trade market right now, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick adds some context to the complications in working out a deal, reporting the eight teams to which Lucroy can block a trade (Twitter link). Lucroy can block trades to the Twins, Angels, Athletics, Padres, Mariners, Nationals and, most interestingly, the Indians and Tigers. Both of the two latter teams have been connected to Lucroy in trade rumors this week, though both Crasnick and his colleague Jayson Stark were told this morning that the Tigers are no longer in the picture (links to Twitter).

Cleveland’s presence on Lucroy’s no-trade list certainly doesn’t preclude a deal from happening — Lucroy has candidly stated to the media that he wants to play for a contending team on multiple occasions in the past six months — but it does further complicate matters for the Indians. While Lucroy’s postseason aspirations could make him willing, to some extent, to waive his no-trade rights, he could also wield that clause as leverage in an attempt to coerce the Indians into an extension or, at the very least, restructuring his contract to give him a raise on next year’s wildly affordable $5.25MM salary.

The Indians are said to be discussing Lucroy and left-hander Will Smith with the Brewers, but they face competition even if the Tigers and Astros are out of the market, as has been reported recently. The Rangers, Red Sox and Mets — none of whom are on his no-trade list — have all still been linked to Lucroy, and a premium player of his value figures to draw widespread interest. (Indeed, FanRag’s Jon Heyman last night again mentioned a mystery team in the mix.) The Mets were said to offer a package centered around Travis d’Arnaud, which was quickly dismissed, but FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported last night that the two side “re-engaged” on trade talks. ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin adds a bit more detail to that story this morning, reporting that the Brewers circled back with the Mets and proposed a counter-offer that “was not out-of-hand rejected.” The Mets, he notes, have no intention of dealing either shortstop prospect Amed Rosario or first base prospect Dominic Smith, though.

Latest On Jonathan Lucroy’s Market

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JULY 28, 7:11pm: The Mets are believed to be “behind” other organizations in pursuit of Lucroy, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. But it’s still a “fluid” pursuit for one of the best-available players this summer.

Heyman adds that there’s a mystery team involved. There’s another layer of intrigue here, perhaps, as that could be another report on a solitary, unidentified trying organization — or it may represent the second such unknown entrant to the sweepstakes. (See Crasnick’s report referenced below.)

4:29pm: The Brewers have “re-engaged” with the Mets on Lucroy after New York’s initial offer was reportedly deemed light, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). That doesn’t mean that the sides are anywhere close to a deal, he cautions, but it seems at least that there’s more to discuss.

3:35pm: Crasnick now tweets that the Astros aren’t believed to be in play for Lucroy, with a source telling him that Houston’s interest was previously overstated.

JULY 27, 7:35pm: The Indians have spoken to the Brewers about both Lucroy and left-handed reliever Will Smith, according to Crasnick (on Twitter). A left-handed reliever has long been said to be one of Cleveland’s top priorities, so the addition of Smith to talks is natural and one that we’ve speculated upon in the past. The 27-year-old Smith was in the mix to be Milwaukee’s closer but suffered a freak knee injury in Spring Training and missed upwards of two months due to a partially torn LCL. He somewhat improbably avoided surgery and is back in the Milwaukee ’pen, with a 3.72 ERA and an 18-to-8 K/BB ratio in 19 1/3 innings. Smith took his game from solid relief arm to lights-out lefty last season when he posted a 2.70 ERA with 12.9 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 63 1/3 innings and is controllable through 2019.

6:10pm: The Brewers’ trade talks surrounding catcher Jonathan Lucroy are picking up, per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (links to Twitter). The Indians, Rangers, Mets, Astros and Red Sox have all been mentioned in connection with Lucroy, Crasnick notes, and offers being made by other clubs have become more serious recently. Crasnick adds that the the ever-popular “mystery team” may have entered the mix as well.

While that typically leads to a large amount of speculation, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports may have quickly shed some light on the matter, reporting that the Tigers are a somewhat surprising new entrant into the Lucroy market. He hypothesizes that Detroit could offer James McCann to the Brewers in a similar manner to the Mets’ reported offer of Travis d’Arnaud, though Milwaukee will want more than that in exchange. The Brewers, per Rosenthal, are seeking high-end prospects back in addition to any catcher that is offered in exchange for Lucroy.

While there’s a common belief that Lucroy will indeed be traded prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline, Rosenthal writes that the Mets feel that Milwaukee is “overreaching” in its asks for Lucroy, while AL West contenders like the Astros and Rangers are more focused on adding pitching depth than a catcher at this time. Houston is also looking at other backstops, he notes, so it’s not a guarantee that even if they move for a catcher, Lucroy would be the target. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets that the Rangers have yet to show serious interest in Lucroy and consider adding a catcher to be a “luxury” at this point, as pitching depth remains their primary focus. Those tweets came prior to Texas’ acquisition of Lucas Harrell and Dario Alvarez from the Braves, but one would assume that those two arms alone have not ended the Rangers’ search for pitching upgrade.

Lucroy, who turned 30 last month, is hitting .301/.362/.486 with 13 homers, 16 doubles and three triples on the season while playing excellent defense. He’s earning a modest $4MM salary in 2016 (of which about $1.46MM remains), and his contract contains an exceptionally affordable $5.25MM club option for the 2017 campaign.

Heyman’s Latest: Sale, Cashner, Royals, Brewers, Giants, Mariners, Nats

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Even though the Yankees made a forward-looking move by trading Aroldis Chapman for Adam Warren and three young prospects (highlighted by high-ceiling shortstop Gleyber Torres), they’ve at least placed a call to the White Sox to inquire on Chris Sale, writes Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports in his latest Inside Baseball column. GM Brian Cashman wouldn’t comment on Sale when asked, telling Heyman only that the Yankees call on virtually every player that’s available as a matter of due diligence. Heyman writes that there’s speculation among other clubs that the Yanks could make a legitimate run at Sale, possibly including Torres in the package, but there’s no indication yet to support that talk.

A few more highlights from the lengthy column…

  • The Astros called the Padres to inquire on Andrew Cashner but told San Diego about 48 hours later that they were no longer interested. Whether it’s because of the asking price or another reason isn’t entirely clear. Heyman adds that, unsurprisingly, Colby Rasmus won’t be getting another qualifying offer from the Astros this year after he accepted the QO last November and has underperformed in 2016.
  • The Royals will wait until the very last minute to decide if they’re going to sell off veteran pieces. Edinson Volquez, Kendrys Morales and Luke Hochevar — each of whom has a mutual option on his contract but is likely to hit the open market following the season — are among the team’s candidates to be traded if the Royals do sell. Interestingly, he also notes that there’s a belief that Kansas City will let Alcides Escobar go and replace him with Raul Mondesi Jr. I’d personally wonder if, even though he hasn’t performed well at the plate whatsoever, the Royals could generate some trade interest (either now or after the season) due to the $6.5MM club option ($500K buyout) on Escobar’s contract.
  • Angels GM Billy Eppler will at least listen to offers on both Hector Santiago and Matt Shoemaker, though each is controllable beyond this season (Shoemaker for another four years, Santiago through 2017), so there’s no definitive urge to move either. Yunel Escobar and Joe Smith are both trade candidates for the Halos as well, as has been noted frequently over the past couple of weeks.
  • The Brewers weren’t impressed at all by the Mets’ offer for Jonathan Lucroy, which centered around Travis d’Arnaud. Heyman cites Brewers sources as saying they’ve been offered better catchers than d’Arnaud and still passed on moving Lucroy just yet. Right-hander Junior Guerra, who is having a surprisingly strong season as a 31-year-old rookie, has generated some trade interest, but Heyman says there’s been little chatter on Chris Carter. It also seems that Ryan Braun isn’t being talked about much at this stage.
  • The Giants are interested in Minnesota’s Eduardo Nunez, who has also recently been connected to the Indians. The Twins figure to be wide open to trade scenarios in the coming days, and Nunez would give the Giants some cover at third base, shortstop, second base and in left field. Similarly, the Giants have a bit of interest in Alex Guerrero, who was released by the Dodgers earlier this year. However, Heyman points out that catcher Miguel Olivo, who is being sued by Guerrero after biting off a piece of Guerrero’s ear in a dugout altercation with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2015, is playing for San Francisco’s Triple-A affiliate.
  • The Cubs and Rangers have both called the Mariners about Taijuan Walker and James Paxton, but Seattle hasn’t shown any inclination toward moving either pitcher. Wade Miley is more likely to be moved, and Heyman adds that the Mariners are still open to adding some pieces for 2016 and have checked into Angels righty Joe Smith, whom GM Jerry Dipoto signed while serving as GM in Anaheim.
  • The Nationals turned down proposals centered around both Lucas Giolito and Joe Ross when negotiating with the Yankees about Aroldis Chapman. From there, the Yankees shifted to younger players and asked for a four-prospect package centered around pitching — though it’s not clear just who New York was targeting.  Washington never got close on a Chapman trade despite quite a bit of talk with the Yankees, per Heyman.

Mets Interested In Jonathan Lucroy, Offering Travis D’Arnaud In Return

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The Mets are interested in Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, and current Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud seems to be part of any potential package the Amazins could send to Milwaukee, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.  The Brewers rejected a straight one-for-one offer of Lucroy for d’Arnaud, so as Ackert notes, the Mets’ ability to stay competitive in the race for Lucroy’s services will hinge on the caliber of prospect New York is willing to surrender along with d’Arnaud.  As of Sunday, no deal between the Mets and Brewers was imminent.

Lucroy has been speculatively linked to the Mets as a possible solution to their hitting woes, though the Mets were still thought to be looking at d’Arnaud as their catcher of the future.  In my recent examination of Lucroy’s trade market, I also dismissed the Mets as a possible candidate mostly due to d’Arnaud’s presence but also due to a lack of minor league depth.  While New York has some impressive prospects on hand (i.e. Dominic Smith, Amed Rosario, Gavin Cecchini, Brandon Nimmo), their system is rather thin overall.

For dealing d’Arnaud and years of a controllable top prospect, the Mets would land one of the top catchers in baseball in Lucroy.  Not only has Lucroy strongly bounced back after an injury-plagued 2015 season, he has re-established himself as one of the game’s top bargains.  Lucroy is in the final guaranteed year of a five-year, $11MM extension signed prior to his breakout 2012 season, and there is a team option on his services for only $5.25MM for 2017.  With payroll limitations still a lingering concern for the Mets, they could be particularly eager to obtain a top-tier talent at a low price.

It wasn’t too long ago that d’Arnaud was himself a sought-after commodity, as he and Noah Syndergaard headlined the trade package sent by the Blue Jays to the Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade in December 2012.  While d’Arnaud has looked good when healthy, he has been plagued by a wide array of injuries during his brief career, missing time due to varied injuries to his hand, foot, knee, back, elbow and (most recently) a rotator cuff strain that put him on the DL earlier this season.  Perhaps most troubling of all, d’Arnaud has also suffered at least three known concussions.  There has already been heavy speculation that d’Arnaud will have to be moved to first base for the sake of his health, so he doesn’t necessarily protect as a replacement for Lucroy behind the plate in Milwaukee.

Lucroy may not be the only Mets target on the Milwaukee roster, as the Amazins are known to be looking for relief help and have been linked to relievers Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith.  Ackert reports that the Brewers were one of many teams recently scouting the Mets’ lower-level minor league clubs.  This is just my speculation, but New York may be more willing to part with a top prospect in the Smith/Rosario/Cecchini tier if both Lucroy and one of the relievers could be obtained in the same deal.

AL Rumors: Rangers, Rays, Twins, Tigers, Angels

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The most prominent pitcher the Rangers have pursued as the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline nears is White Sox ace Chris Sale, who’s currently embroiled in a strange controversy, but the sides haven’t made much progress, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. With that in mind, Texas’ focus is on the Rays’ starters at the moment, writes Grant. Tampa Bay’s asking price is high for Matt Moore and Jake Odorizzi, though, as it wants powerful corner infielder/outfielder Joey Gallo – Baseball America’s 11th-ranked prospect. The Rangers would only give up Gallo for the Rays’ top starter, Chris Archer, per Grant.

More rumors from the American League:

  • While reports have connected the Rangers to Milwaukee catcher and trade candidate Jonathan Lucroy for months, Texas is “not really” in pursuit of the All-Star backstop as of now, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com (Twitter link). The Rangers’ focus is instead on upgrading their pitching.
  • The Twins aren’t inclined to deal right-hander Ervin Santana unless they’re “wowed” by an offer, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Despite Santana’s age (33) and their distance from contention, the last-place Twins regard him as a quality future piece. Santana, who’s on a $13.5MM yearly salary through 2018 and has a $14MM club option for 2019, has pitched respectably this season (105 1/ innings, 3.93 ERA, 6.41 K/9, 2.48 BB/9).
  • The Tigers, who are 51-46 and just 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, are likely to stand pat at the deadline, general manager Al Avila told reporters – including Evan Woodbery of MLive.com (via Twitter) – on Saturday. “It’s not sexy,” admitted Avila, who added that buying is difficult because teams are asking for the Tigers’ best young starters, standout rookie righty Michael Fulmer and southpaw Daniel Norris. “I have been in contact with several GMs in sell mode. The asking price is too high right now, even for fifth starters,” Avila stated (Twitter links via Jason Beck of MLB.com). Avila’s Tigers do have in-house reinforcements on the way in Norris, righty Jordan Zimmermann and right fielder J.D. Martinez, all of whom are on the disabled list. When those three come back, Avila expects Detroit to have enough talent to compete for a World Series (Twitter link via Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press).
  • The playoffs continue to look highly unlikely for the Angels, who have won 10 of 12 games and closed the gap in the AL West from 19 1/2 games to a still-high 11 1/2 behind first-place Texas, but their recent hot streak could prevent them from selling, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. “A lot of things have come together at the exact same time,” GM Billy Eppler told DiGiovanna. “We felt that this club had a lot of positive elements to it. It wasn’t all clicking like it is right now, but the character and the fight within those guys has never faded.” The Halos don’t have the assets to turn into buyers, notes DiGiovanna, so their decision will come down to selling or keeping the roster as it is. If they sell, DiGiovanna lists third baseman Yunel Escobar, setup man Joe Smith and closer Huston Street as Angels who could soon change homes.

Trade Rumors: Twins, Abad, Orioles, Giants, Lucroy

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Interest in the Twins’ available trade pieces spiked following the club’s dismissal of general manager Terry Ryan, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney. Many executives from other clubs expected that he would take a fairly conservative approach at the non-waiver trade deadline, but the way in which interim GM Rob Antony (Ryan’s longtime assistant GM) will proceed is yet an unknown. Olney lists Kurt Suzuki, Brandon Kintzler, Fernando Abad and Ervin Santana as potentially appealing chips on the Twins, and Eduardo Nunez’s name can probably be added to that list as well; he was reported recently to be among Minnesota’s most asked-about trade pieces.

A few more notes on the trade market…

  • Abad has long appeared to be a logical trade candidate for the Twins, though he tells Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he was slowed late last month and in early July by a minor back issue that limited his usage. Abad says his back is at full strength again, but the minor tweak was a big part of the reason that he’s pitched in just five games since June 22. Abad says that he’s happy in Minnesota and would like to stay, but a left-handed reliever with a 2.73 ERA, 8.2 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 46.2 percent ground-ball rate that is earning a $1.25MM base salary this year figures to be a sought-after piece — especially considering the fact that he’s controllable through 2017.
  • Orioles general manager Dan Duquette joined MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM to discuss his team’s needs at the trade deadline this week (audio link). “Our team’s strengths are pretty clear,” said Duquette. “We’ve got a good bullpen, we’ve good defense, we score a lot of runs. If we can find some consistency to our starting pitching, we can probably advance to the playoffs. That’s really where our focus is: we’re trying to get some consistency to our starting pitching. We’re also looking around the trade market, which by the way is quite thin this year when it comes to starting pitchers.” Duquette adds that Dylan Bundy will continue to get an opportunity in the rotation for the foreseeable future and said the team also expects continued improvement from Kevin Gausman. The Baltimore GM added that the asking price in trades for starters has been high since the offseason, making it difficult for deals to come together and heightening the risk for acquiring clubs.
  • The Giants could match up with the Brewers on a trade for bullpen help, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). The Brewers, according to Schulman, have been scouting Giants pitching prospect Adalberto Mejia recently and are believed to think quite highly of the left-hander, who rated 91st on Baseball America’s midseason list of the game’s Top 100 prospects. Mejia recently moved up to Triple-A and has enjoyed a strong all-around season in the minors, working to a 2.77 ERA with 8.4 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in 100 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Of course, he’s also a nearly MLB-ready arm, and the Giants have been in need of rotation depth for much of the season. San Francisco could also simply turn to Mejia in the bullpen for the remainder of the year if it preferred not to sacrifice big-league-ready pitching depth, though that’s just my speculation. The Giants have been linked to Brewers relievers Will Smith and Jeremy Jeffress of late.
  • If the Brewers want to extract maximum value for Jonathan Lucroy, the time to trade him is in the next 11 days, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. While demand in the offseason may be greater with more teams looking for catching help, clubs won’t be willing to part with as much this winter, and beyond that Lucroy is currently in the midst of an offensive surge that is bolstering his value. He’s been connected to the Rangers and Indians within the past few days, and Haudricourt writes, “…rest assured there have been talks with other clubs as well.” 
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