Due to the fact that the Indians were one of seven teams on Lucroy’s no-trade list, the 30-year-old backstop had to waive his no-trade clause in order for it to go through. Also, with Lucroy’s contract containing a team option for $5 million next season, it’s a safe bet he will return to Texas on a team-friendly rate.
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The Milwaukee Brewers tweeted Monday afternoon that the Brewers will receive outfielder Lewis Brinson, right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz and a player to be named later.
They wound up with a haul of Lucroy, plus Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffers and Carlos Beltran from the New York Yankees.
For the second straight season, the Milwaukee Brewers hit a snag while trying to trade one of their key players before the deadline. The 29th-overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft has really blossomed in the Rangers farm system. He is now hitting.237 with 11 home runs and 11 stolen bases. Ortiz has combined to go 4-6, 3.48 (26 ER/67.1 IP) over 16 games/14 starts with Frisco and High-A High Desert in his third professional season.
It certainly seemed possible before the game started that Lucroy might not be a Brewer before the night was done.
Brewers two-time All-Star catcher, Jonathan Lucroy is now headed to the Lone Star state – traded to the AL-West leading Texas Rangers.
Last year, Milwaukee had a deal fall through with the Mets that would have sent Carlos Gomez to NY.
Brinson, 22, entered the 2016 season ranked by both Baseball America and MLBPipeline.com as the second-best prospect in the Rangers organization.
Texas has an AL-high 62 wins, and is coming off a four-game series sweep of the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals.
Earlier in the day, the Brewers acquired right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for left-handed pitcher Will Smith.
The trade package that the Mets have offered to the Brewers has included d’Arnaud and a mixture of young outfield prospect Brandon Nimmo and another major-league ready player.
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Jeffress has a career ERA of 2.93 (FIP of 3.31), and 177 strikeouts in 193 innings. If Lucroy were forced to split time at catcher, first base and designated hitter, it would diminish his value when he becomes a free agent after next season, which also likely soured him on the deal. In five minor league seasons, Brinson owns a career.275/.343/.486 batting line with 72 home runs and 254 RBIs.
