The Colorado Rockies are in talks about a deal to acquire catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the Texas Rangers, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding and TR Sullivan and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth-Star Telegram.
The 31-year-old catcher has a history as one of the league’s top catchers, but it has been a different story in 2017. Across 306 plate appearances this year, Lucroy has a .242/.297/.338 slash line, good for just a 66 wRC+. Defensively, Baseball Prospectus believes he’s been 15.2 runs below average, the worst mark in the league. This is a far cry from the last five seasons in which he hit .291/.353/.465, a 121 wRC+, and had a reputation as a good defender.
We previously discussed Lucroy as one of the possible additions to improve their catching situation. His poor numbers in 2017 mean he would likely be an inexpensive addition with some upside based on his career numbers, which is what the Rockies would be banking on. He’s also a rental, so the risk on the Rockies side would be minimal.
We’re now hearing this from both sides, so there’s definitely some smoke here. With just one more day before the non-waiver trade deadline, it’s likely we hear something soon either way. Be sure to stay tuned as the situation unfolds.