Lucroy flied out to right to strand two runners.Keon Broxton and Chris Carter his solo homers to lead Milwaukee’s eight-hit attack as the Brewers swept the three-game set and won their fourth straight game and sixth in seven. Lucky stopped a trade to the Cleveland Indians earlier in the day.
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The New York Mets and Texas Rangers were among the teams linked to Lucroy, with New York reportedly offering a three-player package that included the club’s own catcher, Travis d’Arnaud, along with a top prospect and one more piece.
Lucroy appeared as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth inning. That is how much pull this All-Star catcher has in the negotiations for his services.
Texas got All-Star left-hander Cole Hamels at the non-waiver deadline last season after the pitcher voided a proposed trade that would have sent him from Philadelphia to Houston. That type of trade simply wouldn’t make sense from Detroit’s standpoint.
Lucroy is hitting.299/.359/.482 with 17 doubles and 13 home runs in 95 games this season, and is two years removed from setting a major league record for catchers with 53 doubles. His contract comes with a $5,250,000 team option for the 2017 season. “Really excited and can’t wait to get after it!” he posted on Twitter.
Lucroy acknowledged the trade in a tweet on Monday. Jeffress, 28, who has a 2.36 ERA and 27 saves this year while making just $519,000, is arbitration eligible after the season. He won’t unseat Sam Dyson for the closer role, but getting another late-inning guy pushes everyone else back and makes the group as a whole better.
The Brewers are acquiring the Rangers’ No. 2 prospect Lewis Brinson and No. 3 prospect Luis Ortiz, according to TR Sullivan.
Cleveland’s responded to Lucroy’s requests by telling the Brewers it was their responsibility to appease Lucroy and get him to consent to the agreed-upon trade, a source told ESPN’s Buster Olney.
The 22-year-old Brinson was the 29th overall pick in the 2012 draft and has been playing at Class AA Frisco this season. Brinson batted.237 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI at Double-A Frisco, while Ortiz went 4-6 with a 3.48 ERA with Class-A High Desert and Double-A Frisco.
Jeffress was originally selected by Milwaukee in first round (16th overall) of the 2006 June draft and has gone 11-4 with a 2.93 ERA (63 ER/193.2 IP) over 198 career games with Milwaukee (2010, 2014-16), Kansas City (2011-12), and Toronto (2013-14).
At 47-57 after a 7-3 loss Monday night in San Diego, the Brewers have played respectably for a team not expected to contend in the top-heavy NL Central.
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Jonathan Lucroy says he’s been traded to the AL West-leading Texas Rangers. Robinson Chirinos has started 33 games. Holaday, who was recalled an injury rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Round Rock, started 25 games behind the plate for Texas.
