Jonathan Lucroy is one of the best catchers in baseball and finished fourth in National League MVP voting in 2014. If he gets his wish, he will be playing his home games somewhere other than Milwaukee this upcoming season.
The Brewers spent 133 games in or tied for first place in the National League Central in 2014. Then came a late season collapse that saw them lose 22 of their final 31 games. Last year, Milwaukee finished 68-94 and occupied fourth place in the division. Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Gomez, and Gerardo Parra were among those traded as the Brewers began a rebuilding process.
Lucroy, now 29, doesn’t have many peak years left and would like to maximize them on a contending team.
“I’m not going to sit here and say we’re going to compete for the playoffs this year,” Lucroy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “If I did that, you’d call me a liar. I’d lose credibility and respect.
“I want to win and I don’t see us winning in the foreseeable future. I want to go to a World Series. That’s what all players want. Rebuilding is not a lot of fun for any veteran guy.”
Oftentimes athletes give the politically correct statement or phrase as to not ruffle any feathers within the organization. However, it’s always refreshing when they are honest and say how they really feel.
Lucroy is correct that the Brewers will likely be on the outside looking in when playoffs begin later this year. The NL Central is stacked with the Cardinals, Cubs, and Pirates, all of whom the Brewers play numerous times.
The Brewers are now in a position of deciding what to do with their catcher. While he has not demanded a trade, there will surely be no shortage of teams inquiring about what it would take to pry Lucroy away. If he is dealt, going to a team with a better chance of contending would be welcomed by Lucroy.
