Texas was the clear winner on August 1 as the Rangers front office pulled off the biggest deal of the day, adding All Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy, a move that will help in more ways than one.
The 30-year-old was having a terrific season for Milwaukee, hitting .299 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI’s, but the veteran catcher will also help the Texas pitching staff with his experience and on field leadership, something that could make this a dangerous team over the next few weeks.
Reliever Jeremy Jeffress was also acquired in the trade with the Brewers and the depth in the bullpen should be a big help, but the best news was the front office gave up just two prospects, Lewis Brinson and Luis Ortiz, both of whom are not having the best of years in the Minor Leagues.
Lucroy voided a deal with Cleveland last week, a move that likely cost Milwaukee some better young talent, but in the end, both teams accomplished what they wanted and it could be beneficial for both franchises, not only this year, but also into the future.
Toronto was expected to make a deal for some pitching help and they did that with a trade to acquire Pittsburgh Pirates starter Francisco Liriano. The veteran will give the Blue Jays more experience on the mound, but with the lefty struggling with a 6-11 record and an ERA well over 5.00, it doesn’t seem the right move for this late in the year.
The LA Dodgers also got some help when they made a deal with Oakland to land pitcher Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick, but the cost was high as the A’s received 3 of the top prospects from the Los Angeles Minor League system. This move was more of a win-now for the ‘boys in blue’ and with the highest payroll in the MLB, it could help now, but it will definitely hurt the franchise down the road.
