For the second time in three days, the Milwaukee Brewers have a reportedly agreed to trade All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy. This time it's with the Texas Rangers, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The deal reportedly does not include a contract extension.
Brewers reportedly trade Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress to Rangers
The Rangers are bulking up on players in the final minutes of the deadline.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Rangers are also getting right-handed reliever Jeremy Jeffress in the deal.
The Brewers are receiving Lewis Brinson and Luis Ortiz, per Evan Grant. Brinson, a 22-year-old center fielder and first-round pick in 2012, was rated the 16th-best prospect overall by both Baseball America and MLB.com. Ortiz, a 20-year-old starting pitcher currently in Double-A, was a first-round pick in 2014 and was ranked 64th entering 2016 by BA.
Lucroy is hitting .299/.359/.482 with 17 doubles and 13 home runs in 95 games this season, and is two years removed from setting a major league record for catchers with 53 doubles. He has a strong defensive reputation behind the plate.
The Brewers had a reported agreement late Saturday night to send Lucroy to the Cleveland Indians, in first place in the American League Central, but on Sunday morning the catcher exercised his no-trade clause and the deal fell apart.
Lucroy only has a partial no-trade clause though, and while Cleveland was one of eight teams to which Lucroy could have rejected a trade, the Rangers, in first place in the American League West, are not. He was initially out of the lineup on Sunday for the Brewers amid trade rumors, but ended up pinch hitting in the eighth inning, and received a warm standing ovation from the Milwaukee fans at Miller Park.
Lucroy, 30, is making $4 million in 2016, with roughly $1.35 remaining this season, then has a team-friendly club option in 2017 worth $5.25 million, per Cot’s Contracts.
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