After Lucroy used his limited no-trade clause to block a deal to Cleveland, Milwaukee traded the All-Star catcher to Texas, which also received Brewers closer Jeremy Jeffress in the deal that sent two former first-round draft picks, outfielder Lewis Brinson and right-hander Luis Ortiz, to Milwaukee along with a player to be named. The Rangers will now add Lucroy to an already impressive lineup that ranks seventh in Major League Baseball with 505 runs scored.
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Lucroy was drafted by Milwaukee in 2007 in the 3rd round.
Lucroy, 30, has batted.299 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 95 games this season for Milwaukee, where he has spent his entire major league career. The Rangers were my choice for Beltran as it made too much sense not to target a hot hitting veteran in the a year ago of his contract.
The Mets were also able to get their man from Cincinnati, Jay Bruce.
Puig has been physically limited and largely inconsistent even when healthy this season, batting.260 with seven homers in 81 games. Beltran is batting.302 with 22 home runs which will make him the team leader in those categories and has a career.300 average at Globe Life Park. Between a combination of A+ and Double-A this season, Ortiz has a 3.48 ERA and 8.3 K/9 ratio. The Giants weren’t about to stand pat, acquiring left-hander Matt Moore from Tampa Bay. Moore has pitched 130 innings and has a 4.08 ERA thus far on the season. He went 4-6 with 3.48 ERA in 16 games (14 starts) between Class-A High Desert (7g, 6gs, 3-2, 2.60era) and Double-A Frisco (9g, 8gs, 1-4, 4.08era), according to the Brewers. They have a ton of salary cap room now with all of these expensive players gone, so look for them to sign big free agents in the next two years while trading these newly acquired prospects away in exchange for real assets. A week ago, the Yankees sent Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs for pitcher Adam Warren, minor league outfielders Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford, and shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres. He did have an exceptional August last season, with an OPS for August 2015 of 1.066.
Colin Rea headed back to the Padres after leaving with an injury in his first start since being traded to Miami. Beltran will slide in well to the DH position that has been a dark hole for the Rangers, this year with Prince Fielder on the disabled list. For Beltran, the club acquired Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson, and Nick Green from the Rangers.
The Twins acquired starting pitcher Hector Santiago and a minor leaguer from the Angels for right-handers Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer and cash. With many teams in pursuit of bullpen help, it comes as little surprise that Jeffress was on Texas’ radar.
We’re required by federal law to make a “winners and losers” post after the trade deadline.
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Yasiel Puig followed the Los Angeles Dodgers’ wishes when he didn’t show up to the stadium on Monday before the team departed on its road trip to Colorado, manager Dave Roberts told The Associated Press. He wouldn’t elaborate on his reasoning, but reports suggested he was unable to work out financial incentive to waive his no-trade protection and couldn’t be guaranteed playing time at catcher next season.
