Jonathan Lucroy: The Verdict
The Verdict
Lucroy is clearly the best possible option for the Indians when looking at the short-term. Yan Gomes has had a terrible year at the plate and is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, turning the catching duties over to the duo of Chris Gimenez and Roberto Perez.
Lucroy, if acquired, would take over as the clear everyday catcher and would provide the Indians with another power bat in the middle of the order.
For the foreseeable future, that sounds pretty good to me.
But let’s think about the big picture. If the Indians are going to acquire an All-Star catcher, they will likely have to give up a serviceable backstop as well. If that catcher ends up being Perez, the Indians will have a logjam at the position with both Gomes and Lucroy on the roster.
That would suggest trading Gomes (and potentially another piece or two) for Lucroy. Once again, this would absolutely work in the short term. Lucroy could very well provide the boost to get this team to the World Series.
However, Lucroy only has one more year on his deal after 2016 and with the current pace he is on, the catcher will likely get paid. That surely makes Gomes’ contract situation look good, as he is locked down until at least 2020 with a team option for 2021.
So this deal really comes down to whether the Indians front office is “all in” for this year or not. Going with Gomes gives you the future; going with Lucroy gives you the now.
2016 is a pretty good year for Cleveland thus far, gimme Lucroy now.
About Author
