Cubs Rumors: Team interested in veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy

The trade deadline may be in the past, but more Cubs rumors have surfaced connecting the team to veteran free agent catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

With Willson Contreras sidelined for at least the next four weeks, it should come as a surprise to no one the Chicago Cubs are scouring the market for a catcher. According to the latest Cubs rumors, the club’s top target is 33-year-old veteran Jonathan Lucroy.

Lucroy is a shell of his former self – definitely not the same guy who finished fourth in MVP voting back in 2014. That being said, he still represents a strong veteran presence who could help hold down the fort until Contreras returns in September. Even when the Cubs’ two-time All-Star does come back from his hamstring injury, Chicago would likely carry three catchers in Contreras, Lucroy and Victor Caratini.

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The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim designated Lucroy for assignment recently and after clearing waivers, he is now a free agent. If the Cubs were to sign him, it would cost them only the prorated portion of the big league minimum (just over $160,000). But it’s worth asking – how much of an upgrade would he really represent over someone like Taylor Davis.

At the dish, Lucroy managed a paltry 84 wRC+ this year with the Angels – and he wasn’t any better with the Brewers prior to that. From 2017 through 2019, he’s been a substantially below-average player with a 78 OPS+ and a negative WAR in each of the last two seasons, according to Baseball Reference.

His framing and pitch blocking have trended in the wrong direction in recent years, as well – perhaps due to ongoing concussion issues. (Don’t forget, he got absolutely blasted by Jake Marisnick earlier this season in a home plate collision). Could a postseason run revitalize the veteran? Maybe. But there’s not a lot of numbers to suggest that’s likely.

But at the end of the day, if the Cubs were to lose Caratini (remember, he did suffer a broken hamate bone early in the year), the team would be forced to trot out Taylor Davis on a daily basis in the midst of a pennant chase. That’s not exactly encouraging.

So, while Lucroy certainly isn’t what he once was – I don’t know if the Cubs can feasibly pass on him given the lack of alternatives. He brings experience and an adequate insurance option behind the guys on the roster. Don’t be shocked if a deal comes together quickly in the next day or two, despite the lack of flashiness such a signing might garner.