Lucroy difference-maker for AL West champs

ARLINGTON — The best non-waiver Trade Deadline acquisition by a contending team this year was made by the Rangers when they acquired catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the Brewers.

You can name other clubs that made necessary improvements, such as the Cubs, trading for closer Aroldis Chapman, or the Nationals, trading for closer Mark Melancon. The Dodgers made substantial improvements, too.

But the one individual who has been a tremendous difference-maker in more ways than one is Lucroy. He has added offense, defense and superb handling of pitchers to a Rangers squad that was already talented. A two-time All-Star, Lucroy is an elite catcher. And he has delivered at that level for the Rangers, who have gone 30-20 after trading for him.

Lucroy had made it known last offseason that he would rather be traded to a contending club than stay with the rebuilding Brewers. But he made his peace with not being traded through four months of the regular season, by performing at an All-Star level for Milwaukee.

There was some irony in the fact that the Rangers, now battling the Red Sox for home-field advantage throughout the American League postseason, are meeting the Brewers in a three-game series at Globe Life Park. The Rangers reaped immediate dividends from the Lucroy trade while the Brewers are building for the future.

Lucroy did not come cheaply. The Rangers gave up three legitimate prospects, including their Nos. 2 and 3 prospects — outfielder Lewis Brinson and pitcher Luis Ortiz — for Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress, who had been successfully closing for the Brewers. Jeffress is back on the …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com