According to the Rockies twitter account, the team has agreed on a deal that will send a player to be named later to the Texas Rangers in exchange for two time All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
The Numbers
Lucroy was acquired by the Rangers last season at the deadline from the Brewers. He played well last season, but this season he has underperformed. The eighth-year catcher is hitting .242 with 4 home runs and 27 RBI’s in 77 games with Texas. Defensively, he has had his problems as well. He was at one point one of the best pitch framers in baseball, but this season his numbers have really dipped. In fact, his framing numbers are lower than both Rockies catchers Nick Hundley and Tony Wolters.
The Breakdown
Despite the down year, this trade is a good move for both the Rockies and the veteran catcher. Colorado is currently in the second Wild Card spot and 14.0 games out of first in the NL Central. The Rockies have a deep enough lineup to carry them to the playoffs. Lucroy adds just another another great offensive presence in this lineup, and fills their hole at catcher. The Rockies current options at catcher have not performed well, and Lucroy should jump in as the immediate starter. Despite the poor numbers, a move to Colorado could prove to be big for Jonathan Lucroy offensively. If playing his home games at the hitter friendly Coors Field can’t help Lucroy’s numbers, not much else can.
As mentioned before, this is the second consecutive trade deadline that Lucroy has been dealt. Last season he was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Rangers in exchange for Brewers top prospect OF Lewis Brinson, Brewers top pitching prospect Luis Ortiz, and a PTBNL. The fact that Lucroy is only a two month (plus the playoffs) rental, and the deflated offensive numbers decreased his value a ton this season. This trade should prove to be a steal for the Colorado Rockies.
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