The catcher position has been one of the few weak spots for the AL West-leading Texas Rangers this season, and they may be looking to upgrade.
According to a report by Chris Cotillo of SB Nation on Friday, the Rangers have discussed a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers for All-Star backstop Jonathan Lucroy. The two sides have also talked about a possible Will Smith trade but are said to be nowhere close to making a deal at the moment.
Source: Brewers and Rangers have discussed both Jonathan Lucroy and Will Smith. Sides do not appear close to striking a deal.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) July 15, 2016
The 30-year-old Lucroy is one of the best all-around catchers in the MLB and is putting together a phenomenal 2016 campaign with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs on a .304/.361/.491 slash line, numbers good enough to get him selected to this year’s NL All-Star team.
The Rangers haven’t gotten much out of their catchers this season as Robinson Chirinos has battled injury and is hitting just .197 on the year, while Bobby Wilson is more of a defensive specialist himself.
Lucroy won’t come cheap, but Texas has a treasure trove of young prospects (including Joey Gallo, Jurickson Profar, and Lewis Brinson, to name a few) they could potentially offer. Even if the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a Lucroy deal specifically, this report should firmly assert catcher as a position of interest for the Rangers as we move into the final two weeks before the trade deadline.
Image Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
H/T Baseball Reddit
