Brewers trade Jonathan Lucroy to Rangers

Lucroy was to be dealt to the Indians, but he had them on his no-trade list, and exercised that clause. It was a move that sent shockwaves, and rightfully so.

“When you are dealing with life-changing, life-altering decisions like this, there are a lot of factors that come into play, mostly family”, he said.

The Oakland Athletics traded right fielder Josh Reddick and left-hander Rich Hill to the contending Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday for a trio of pitching prospects. The Indian management refused and also told him they would not guarantee he would be their starting catcher for the 2017 season.

Matt Moore, Francisco Liriano and Joe Smith found new homes, too, as playoff contenders stocked up for the stretch.

Lucroy, 29, is enjoying a renaissance at the plate in 2016, hitting.300/.360/.484 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs in 94 games. He’s now pitching at Double-A Frisco.

Lucroy was an All-Star this year, and will provide an immediate boost for a Rangers’ team that has been looking for catching help for months.

Duffy had a standout rookie season a year ago but has been hampered by an Achilles strain suffered against his new Rays team on June 19. He has always seemed to pitch worse than his peripherals indicated, leading some to believe the right-hander would eventually right the ship, but his last three seasons have been a nightmare.

Jeffress, 28, returned to the Brewers in 2014 and has gone 8-3 with a 2.36 ERA and 27 saves (all this season) in 148 relief appearances during that stretch.

Mostly a fastball/curveball pitcher, Jeffress throws his fastball at an average of 95.6 miles per hour, while his curveball flutters in at just over 80 miles per hour. The 29th-overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft has really blossomed in the Rangers farm system.

The banged-up Mets acquired Bruce, the All-Star outfielder who leads the NL with 80 RBIs, from Cincinnati for infielder Dilson Herrera and minor league lefty Max Wotell.

The Brewers are receiving Lewis Brinson and Luis Ortiz, per Evan Grant. He sports a 2-2 record with a 2.22 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 11 walks. Only 20 years old, Ortiz has a mid-90s fastball and a low-80s slider, which are both plus offerings. The former first round pick boasts a mid-90s fastball with a hard slider. Scouts project him with the ceiling of a #2 starter.

The cost was substantial, including the prospects that went to the Yankees – and two more to the Brewers, though they were able to keep their most intriguing prospect, third baseman Joey Gallo. The price they paid could pay huge dividends for the Brewers as well.

For Texas, this establishes them as one of the favorites out in the American League.

With Lucroy and Carlos Beltran now in the order, the Rangers can order those two with Ian Desmond and Adrian Beltre for an incredibly potent middle of the order, and that isn’t even mentioning the power through the rest of the lineup.