Report: Rangers shopping Jonathan Lucroy as trade bait

The Rangers are open to trading catcher Jonathan Lucroy, according Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Lucroy, who was acquired in a deadline trade with the Brewers last summer, will be a free agent after the season. After starting slow, Lucroy has improved at the plate in the past month. He’s hitting over .260 with 22 RBIs, including a clutch two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning on Sunday that give the Rangers a 5-4 lead.

The Rangers, however, see Robinson Chirinos, 33, as comparably talented, despite a lesser resume that doesn’t include two All-Star games. Chirinos has 12 homers in far fewer at-bats (108) than Lucroy, who had four homers in 224 ABs before Sunday’s game. Chirinos signed an extension through 2019 in March and it seems unlikely that the Rangers would be willing to extend a qualifying offer to Lucroy at season’s end. Triple A Round Rock catcher Brett Nicholas was up for a short time in ’16 and is well-liked by the club.

The Rangers figure to be on the market for bullpen help.

This story was originally published July 2, 2017 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Report: Rangers shopping Jonathan Lucroy as trade bait."