Lucroy ready for big year
All-star catcher not worried about a trade
First came expectations that Jonathan Lucroy would be traded before spring training began. When that didn’t happen, there was speculation he’d be gone before opening day.
Well, don’t look now but the Milwaukee Brewers’ No. 1 catcher is still here.
When the Brewers open the 2016 season at 1:10 p.m. Monday against the San Francisco Giants at Miller Park, Lucroy will be behind the plate, beginning his seventh season with the club. Whether he makes it through the entire season in a Milwaukee uniform or not, the veteran catcher said his mind is on the game, not trade speculation.
“That’s all in the past,” said Lucroy, who has enjoyed a big spring at the plate. “I’m here now and ready to go. I’ve been focusing on this season and getting ready to play. That’s all I’ve been thinking about. That’s all that matters.”
In an interview with the Journal Sentinel in January, Lucroy said he wasn’t interested in being part of the losing that goes with massive rebuilding plans and suggested it might be best for all involved to be traded. He wasn’t demanding to get out, only speaking honestly as a veteran who wants to be part of a winner.
With a great work ethic, outgoing demeanor and openly patriotic vision of being an American, Lucroy has been a fan favorite since he first donned a Brewers uniform. Some folks, however, interpreted those comments as selfishness and expressed disappointment via social media and other means.
Despite that conflict, Lucroy said his interactions with fans during spring training have been cordial and he expects the usual
vocal support Monday. Yes, it helps that boos would sound the same as the siren song “Luuuuuuc!” but he expects nothing but positive vibes at Miller Park.
“The fans have always been great in Milwaukee,” Lucroy said. “We’re looking forward to getting back home. We always have great support there.
“The fans have been great to me. I haven’t heard anything bad from anybody. . . . They know I’ll be ready to play and give it everything I’ve got.”
When camp opened, Lucroy issued a “no drama” decree in an attempt to put behind him the trade talk and his comments about the rebuild. But he did reveal in a recent USA Today interview that he was so sure he’d be traded, he had to scramble to find housing in Milwaukee.
It wasn’t that the Brewers were uninterested in trading Lucroy. Several teams reached out to see what general manager David Stearns might want in return but backed off when they thought the price too high. One report indicated there were talks with Atlanta and Houston, Stearns’ former club, about a possible three-way deal but nothing materialized.
The Brewers are well within their rights to ask a lot in return for Lucroy, who will be 30 in June. He was a National League allstar in 2014 before struggling through an injuryplagued ’15 campaign. He also has a club-friendly contract that calls for a $4.25 million salary this year with a $5.25 million option for 2017.
Lucroy can block trades to eight teams but such contract clauses usually can be worked out with the player if a deal is in place he likes.
After an off-season of intense workouts back home in Louisiana, Lucroy reported to camp a motivated man. Manager Craig Counsell considered it business as usual for one of the few established players returning after a busy off-season of moves for the Brewers.
“It’s been exactly what I hoped for, really,” Counsell said. “He’s healthy; he has swung the bat really well. I think he’s in a great place to have a really good season.
“You don’t have to motivate Luc. He is self-motivated. He gets himself going.”
Lucroy never wanted it to come to this. He hoped to play his entire career with Milwaukee, but the club declined his request last spring for a contract extension. Once the massive rebuilding project followed, he figured his days with the Brewers were numbered.
True to his word, Lucroy immersed himself in daily activities of this camp, working hard on his game and getting to know the large group of new teammates. In exhibition play, he is batting .360 with two homers, eight RBI and a .947 OPS.
“It has been a great camp,” he said. “Everybody’s been working hard and getting ready for the season. The way we look at it, we’ve got a chance to prove people wrong. I think we’re going to be better than people say.”
If Lucroy has a big year, it will only increase his chances of being traded, either before the Aug. 1 nonwaiver deadline or after the season. He insists that’s not on his mind as he begins what likely will be his final year with the Brewers.
“I’m not worried about that,” he said. “I’m just getting ready for the season. Everything is good; I’m ready to go. Let’s get started.”