The Texas Rangers have made the biggest splash of deadline day, acquiring catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Jeremy Jeffress from the Milwaukee Brewers for a package of prospects.
The Rangers managed to do it without trading top prospect Joey Gallo as well.
Rangers get Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress, according to source.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) August 1, 2016
Rangers will give up Lewis Brinson and Luis Ortiz in Lucroy/Jeffress deal.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) August 1, 2016
Joey Gallo not in the Lucroy deal, per @Sullivan_Ranger. Says it's Lewis Brinson and Luis Ortiz.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2016
#Brewers receiving player to be named from #Rangers in addition to Ortiz and Brinson.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 1, 2016
To be clear, this is no small price to pay. Ortiz is one of Texas’s best pitching prospects, while Brinson is viewed as a potentially elite center fielder. Still, to hang on to Gallo, outfielder Nomar Mazara, and infielder Jurickson Profar is a big deal for them, especially when Lucroy and Jeffress weren’t the only ones Texas acquired on Monday.
Jeffress has been Milwaukee’s closer in 2016, posting a 2.22 ERA and 27 saves. Lucroy, of course, is one of the game’s premier catchers both offensively and defensively. The Rangers are not on his no-trade list, which means we will avoid a repeat of this awkward situation. He is under team control through 2017.
