Milwaukee Brewers Trade Jonathan Lucroy to Texas Rangers

MILWAUKEE -- After a wild weekend in which the all-star catcher vetoed a trade to the Cleveland Indians, Jonathan Lucroy has a new home: Arlington, Texas.

Arguably the top prize in this year's MLB trade season, Jonathan Lucroy has been traded to the Rangers in exchange for prospects Lewis Brinson, a 22-year-old outfield prospect currently in AA, and Luis Ortiz, a 20-year-old pitching prospect who has split time between A and AA in the minor leagues.

Both Brinson and Ortiz were considered the Rangers second and third-best prospects to top prospect Joey Gallo - who was not included in the deal.

Here's what Fangraphs says about Brinson:

With a better all-around skill set than Mazara and Gallo, Brinson earns the top spot in the organization and one of the highest potentials in all of baseball. He will have to continue proving his plate-discipline gains are legitimate in order to realize his ceiling, but the floor here is crazy high too for a soon-to-be 22-year-old center fielder.

Here's the word on Ortiz:

Ortiz has command beyond his years, particularly of his mid-90s fastball. He is a conglomeration of good and bad signs for success as a starting pitcher. The control he exhibits of his potential plus fastball and slider and above-average changeup makes him immediately intriguing as a mid-rotation to higher-end starter.

Lucroy Vetoed Cleveland Deal

The Milwaukee Brewers may have traded All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy to the Cleveland Indians in a 4-for-1 deal, but the Brewer's All-Star catcher said "no."

About Jonathan Lucroy

Arguably the top prize in this year's MLB trade season, Jonathan Lucroy, the 30-year-old catcher was drafted in the third round of the 2007 MLB draft, and made his major-league debut with the Brewers in May of 2010 at the age of 23.

Lucroy was a two-time all star with the Brewers, earning a spot on the national league team in the midsummer classic in 2014 and 2016.

Lucroy had enjoyed many fine seasons in his 7-year career with the Brewers, leading the league in doubles in 2014, and hitting over .300 in 2012, 2014 and so far in 2016.

One of Lucroy's most accomplished attributes, experts say, is his ability to frame pitchers' pitches - effectively using his body and skill to make pitches outside of the strike zone appear as though they are strikes.

According to an ESPN magazine article in 2015 titled "Jonathan Lucroy Needs a Raise," Lucroy produced 121 stolen strikes in the previous season, and in the past five seasons clocks in at more than 1,000, the most in MLB. And if you believe the metrics, these stolen strikes have been worth about 18 wins during his five-year career.
2016 Contract Status: Signed thru 2016, 5 yrs/$10.28M (12-16) & 17 team option (details)
Service Time (01/2016): 5.136,
Free Agent: 2017

About Jeremy Jeffress

The 28-year-old right-hander was Milwaukee's eighth-inning man last season and has adapted to become the team's closer this season, collecting 23 saves in just over a half-season's worth of work.

He's another one of Milwaukee's solid bullpen men with a low annual salary and three more years of cost-controlled and team-friendly contracts. He becomes a free agent in 2020.

Mostly a fastball/curveball pitcher, Jeffress throws his fastball at an average of 95.6 miles per hour, while his curveball flutters in at just over 80 miles per hour.