Another year, another deadline deal for catcher Jonathan Lucroy. Last season, the Milwaukee Brewers moved Lucroy to the Texas Rangers at the deadline after he vetoed a trade to the Cleveland Indians. This season, Lucroy has been traded to the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later.
Lucroy's contract, which paid him $4 million last season and $5.25 million this season, made him a commodity at last season's deadline.
With him being traded midseason and this being the last year of his current deal, he will be ineligible to receive a qualifying offer heading into free agency at the end of the year.
Lucroy was not having the most productive season, or month for that matter. He is currently hitting a career-low .242 at the plate and is batting .167 in 18 games this month, his worst month of the season.
As bad as he has been offensively, he'll be an upgrade for his new team. Rockies catchers have combined for minus-1.1 WAR, the least WAR among any team's primary-position catchers. Lucroy has caught 29.5 percent of would-be base stealers this season, just slightly above his career average. His catcher ERA ranks 23rd among 30 qualified catchers, while the Rockies' current catcher, Tony Wolters, ranks 29th.
Lucroy's experience behind the plate is a good fit for the young Rockies pitchers as well. Of the seven pitchers to start at least once for the Rockies this year, Tyler Chatwood (27 years, 226 days) is the oldest.
