Report: Rangers acquire Jonathan Lucroy, Jeremy Jeffress from Brewers
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.
