Cleveland Indians Dealt Blow Not Getting Jonathan Lucroy

The Cleveland Indians were dealt a blow over the weekend when the trade they thought they had in place for Milwaukee Brewers’ catcher Jonathan Lucroy fell apart when Lucroy exercised his no-trade clause, vetoing the deal. The Indians had been looking to bolster the catcher position that’s been a huge Achilles’ heel all year due to injuries and offensive struggles. For a team looking to win their division for the first time in nearly a decade, it seems like a crushing blow on the surface but can the Indians survive it?

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Saying that opening day starter Yan Gomes has had a rough year is putting it lightly.  He was batting a putrid .165 with just a .512 OPS before ending up on the disabled list with a shoulder injury that may keep him out the rest of the season. Almost nothing went right for Gomes this year, as even his defense couldn’t make up for the offense as seen by his -0.5 fWAR.

The Tribe’s original backup catcher, Roberto Perez, was coming off a very good 2015 season. He hit just .228 last season; however, he posted a very good .348 OBP and had a 1.7 fWAR despite playing in just 70 games. Having a catcher like Perez, who is very good defensively, should have made Gomes’ struggles easier to handle but unfortunately for the Tribe, Perez went down with a thumb injury early in the year. The injury required surgery and he was on the disabled list for over two months.

With Perez out, the Indians were forced to trade for journeyman Chris Gimenez who has had a couple stints with the Indians in the past though has always been a part-time player in the big leagues. The 33-year-old Gimenez has fared no better than Gomes, batting .202 with an even lower .511 OPS in 43 games this season, and like Gomes has posted an ugly -0.5 fWAR.

Jonathan Lucroy meanwhile has hit .299 this season with a .841 OPS and great 2.8 fWAR. He’s two years removed from putting up MVP-like numbers hitting .301 with a 6.1 fWAR in 2014 for the Brewers. In addition to the offensive numbers Lucroy has also been considered a good defender behind the plate and has handled the Brewers pitching staff well. His addition seemed like a no-brainer and the Indians offered a ton to get him if reports are accurate.  It seemed like the Indians had finally filled their giant hole in the lineup and done so by getting one of the three best catchers in all of baseball. Lucroy, however, had other plans….

His decision to veto the trade based (perhaps) on playing time and/or not wanting his option picked up is a choice he’s more than allowed to make. It is, however, very disappointing for the Indians. Does it kill their season though? Absolutely not. Perez still has shown the ability to get on base via the walk and he’s still working his way back from injury. The Tribe’s offense is also still scoring runs in spite of the black hole behind the plate.

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That all said…seeing Lucroy in the middle of the Tribe’s lineup and putting on the catcher’s gear five-six days a week would have made this Tribe roster truly special. They definitely have the ability to still win it all with the roster they have, but that task got a lot tougher when the trade was nixed.