These 3 MLB Teams Could Really Use Jonathan Lucroy at Catcher

Spring is quickly turning into summer, which means one thing around Major League Baseball: the trade market is starting to heat up. What’s a little unfamiliar is seeing a catcher become the most desired target among position players, but that’s the world we live in today.

After thinking about selling low last winter, the Milwaukee Brewers are happy they decided against trading Jonathan Lucroy. While he’s returned to being one of baseball’s best catchers and leads the position with a 2.3 fWAR, there are four main reasons why he’s become a hot commodity:

• After a rough season in 2014 that led to his lowest OPS since 2011 (.717), Lucroy has bounced back in 2016, hitting .311/.368/.527 in 222 at-bats.
• He’s not just an offensive catcher, either. Lucroy is an asset behind the plate when it comes to throwing out runners and framing pitches.
• He’s primarily a catcher, but also has some experience at first base.
• His contract makes him an incredibly affordable, non-rental player ($4 million total salary in ’16, $5.25 million team option for ’17).

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Many contending teams would love to have him, but making that a reality won’t be so simple. The reasons why could be any one (or more) of the following:

• Their farm system isn’t deep enough.
• The farm system is deep enough, but they don’t want to pay the price.
• There are other pressing roster needs that require more attention.
• The coaching staff/front office isn’t ready to give up on their current catcher.

Lucroy himself could also make it difficult. He recently told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post he’s not much of a big city guy, leading us to imagine at least some of baseball’s biggest media markets are on his limited no-trade list. The catcher can block deals to eight teams each year, and the Washington Nationals are the only organization we know whose definitely on there.

Now that over 60 regular-season games are in the books, it appears the teams who could really use his services the most – and have a somewhat decent chance of making it happen – all reside in the American League West. And no, we’re not talking about the Los Angeles Angels or the Oakland Athletics.

Texas Rangers

Why it makes sense: The Rangers have been linked to Lucroy since last winter, and it’s doubtful that interest has faded. Again, there aren’t many teams in baseball looking at the above four bullet points and say they wouldn’t want that kind of player.

The Rangers’ current catching combination of Robinson Chiniros, Bobby Wilson and Bryan Holaday has worked up to this point, but this potential trade would serve as a substantial upgrade. It’d also help them continue distancing themselves from the rest of the division.

Lastly, Texas has enough minor-league talent to make this trade without cleaning out its farm system, which is ranked third overall by MLB.com.

Why it won’t happen: As mentioned above, the trio of Chiniros, Wilson and Holaday may not sound great, but they’ve been playing pretty well. These guys have combined to post a .265/.318/.480 line with 11 homers and 38 RBI, along with a 1.9 fWAR.

If they continue producing at this rate, it would allow the Rangers to address other potential needs at the deadline. Since Yu Darvish just went back on the disabled list, they may be forced to look for some pitching help, depending on how much time the right-hander could miss moving forward.

Seattle Mariners

Why it makes sense: General manager Jerry Dipoto made a ton of changes over the offseason, and it was anyone’s guess as to how Seattle would respond on the field. So far, they’ve been one of baseball’s bigger surprises with a 34-31 record (their recent four-game skid notwithstanding).

The catching duo of Chris Iannetta and Steve Clevenger has done the job, but there’s certainly room for improvement. Dipoto’s offseason moves helped raise the team’s performance floor while also creating roster and financial flexibility for the organization.

Given Lucroy’s contract status and ability to play both catcher and first base, he’d be a great fit. Plus, they’d keep him away from the Rangers, which is just as important.

Why it won’t happen: There’s a reason why the Brewers didn’t trade Lucroy last winter – they want to get as much value for him as possible. Watching him bounce back to his 2014 production is a best-case scenario for them. There’s going to be a steep asking price when it comes to prospects, which is something the Mariners may not be able to compete with.

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Houston Astros

Why it makes sense: Houston is the only team of these three still currently under .500. However, GM Jeff Luhnow has shown a willingness to be aggressive (and overpay) for a player if he thinks it’ll get them over the hump. Their 32-35 record has them 9.5 games back of first place, but just 4.5 games behind in the Wild Card race.

Jason Castro isn’t there for his offense, and while he’s performed a little better at the plate than in recent years, it’s still not enough. Houston ranks 25th in baseball at catcher with a -0.1 fWAR and even put Evan Gattis back behind the dish to provide some pop at the plate.

Even if they end up disappointing this season, this would be a good acquisition to gear up for 2017. Despite overpaying for Ken Giles, there’s still enough talent in the system to potentially make it happen, as MLB.com ranks them as having the 10^th-best farm system this year.

Lucroy could also play first base if the Astros aren’t ready to promote A.J. Reed to replace a struggling Tyler White.

Why it won’t happen: If Houston is committed to being a buyer and push for the playoffs, they may first have to take a look at improving the pitching staff. Of the five hurlers currently with a rotation spot, four have an ERA over 4.50 (Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, Mike Fiers and Lance McCullers).

Judging from how the trade market could be shaping up, that will prove to be rather difficult.

Is there a good chance Lucroy’s next team resides in the AL West? One would think so, but you never know. Rumors are starting to gain momentum, but it’s still early and a lot can happen between now and the All-Star break. The Brewers aren’t in any rush to deal him and will look for an interested suitor with the best package of prospects.

However, when considering what each divisional race looks like at the moment, it’s easy to see how much of an impact he could have if the stars align for one of these three teams.

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