Lucroy Trades/Proposals

[MrTPlush]

Wow really another occasion with Lucroy talking bad about the team? Shocking.

 

Get the loser off the team already. All he does is complain and tell the team what they should do with him like he is the almighty God. Maybe he should shut his mouth and focus on his on the field performance. He was one of the reasons we were so horrible last year.

[Jenkins5]

You at least need Tate or Brinson, no questions asked. Brinson, Matuella, & Mendez (who fits DS mold to T) gets it done to me. Maybe add a not so known young Rookie ball player in as well

[yfinn6]

Wow really another occasion with Lucroy talking bad about the team? Shocking.

 

Get the loser off the team already. All he does is complain and tell the team what they should do with him like he is the almighty God. Maybe he should shut his mouth and focus on his on the field performance. He was one of the reasons we were so horrible last year.

 

Geez, dude. They asked him a question and he answered it honestly. What do you want/expect him to say? The fact that he had a bad year last year doesn't negate the fact that his opinion carries weight on/with the Brewers.

[paul253]

I look at what we got for Gomez last year - at top 50 prospect (Phillips), a top 100 prospect (Santana), plus to interesting arms (Houser and Hader) - as a solid starting point. If we could get that kind of haul, I'd do it now. If we can't find something similar, then I'm okay waiting.

 

Look at what we originally got for Gomez. That return was almost universally hated. Like the Gomez deal maybe we should consider adding a piece. Personally I'd look at including Peralta. He's so inconsistent and it's looking like he might not meet his potential. It'd be risky but it should improve the return rather significantly. We have enough arms to throw in the rotation until we're ready to compete.

[MrTPlush]

Wow really another occasion with Lucroy talking bad about the team? Shocking.

 

Get the loser off the team already. All he does is complain and tell the team what they should do with him like he is the almighty God. Maybe he should shut his mouth and focus on his on the field performance. He was one of the reasons we were so horrible last year.

 

Geez, dude. They asked him a question and he answered it honestly. What do you want/expect him to say? The fact that he had a bad year last year doesn't negate the fact that his opinion carries weight on/with the Brewers.

 

He doesn't have to answer every single question and saying your team won't compete in the upcoming season?...That takes one special person. All Lucroy is doing is hurting the Brewers with his comments. These kinds of comments hurt trade value and it makes fans not happy with the team etc.

 

How many other Brewers have said the team is going to suck this year and stated how much the team should just trade him? Any?

[yfinn6]

Wow really another occasion with Lucroy talking bad about the team? Shocking.

 

Get the loser off the team already. All he does is complain and tell the team what they should do with him like he is the almighty God. Maybe he should shut his mouth and focus on his on the field performance. He was one of the reasons we were so horrible last year.

 

Geez, dude. They asked him a question and he answered it honestly. What do you want/expect him to say? The fact that he had a bad year last year doesn't negate the fact that his opinion carries weight on/with the Brewers.

 

He doesn't have to answer every single question and saying your team won't compete in the upcoming season?...That takes one special person. All Lucroy is doing is hurting the Brewers with his comments. These kinds of comments hurt trade value and it makes fans not happy with the team etc.

 

How many other Brewers have said the team is going to suck this year and stated how much the team should just trade him? Any?

 

So you're upset he's saying what everyone knows is the truth? I just want to make sure I got that right. If he says "We expect to win this year" and the Brewers lose 95 games then fans are screaming at Stearns and Counsell for underachieving.

 

As it stands, the majority of 'informed' fans, not just people who are diehards and post multiple times a day on Brewerfan, understand that it's going to be a down year and we're in the midst of a rebuild. Lucroy saying what everyone already knows isn't some indictment into his character. I'd rather him just tell the truth.

[MrTPlush]

Sure most people know the Brewers aren't going to compete, but there is also a sliver that always have hope. There are also fans that are ticked because they think the team isn't going to try hard because they won't be competing. A comment like this supports that kind of thinking for them. If you aren't going out there and trying to win every game what does that say? Because from his comments he has no confidence in the rest of the team and that probably makes a lot of his teammates unhappy. He is insulting his teammates indirectly.

 

I get it you don't care...most hardcore fans probably aren't going to care because we understand, but looking at the big picture these are comments any player shouldnt say. Sure they might lose 100 games this year, but no one in the organization needs to go around shouting it. No one needs to go around saying how much they want to be traded and go elsewhere either.

 

This informed fans group you speak of is a pretty small section of the fanbase. You have to keep the uninformed as happy as possible too because they are a huge chunk of ticket sales.

[sveumrules]

How many other Brewers have said the team is going to suck this year and stated how much the team should just trade him? Any?

 

None, including Lucroy. He was quoted as saying, "I'm not going to sit here and say we're going to compete for the playoffs this year." Like yfinn6 said, I don't think this news is breaking to any paying customers. Plus, there is a big difference between what Lucroy is quoted as saying and saying the team "sucks", imo anyway.

 

He also wasn't quoted anywhere in the article saying "the team should just trade him". It specifically mentions that Lucroy has not demanded a trade.

[DocLuna7]

Count me as being a bit sick and tired of Lucroy talking about this with the media. I get that he was being honest but he could also just as easily have said 'no comment' and left it at that. There is absolutely no reason, even if we are going to be terrible, to discourage fans from coming out to see the product on the field, and I think that when your all-star catcher makes comments like this it is exactly what it does. There have been posters on this site who have bemoaned the lack of clubhouse leadership the past few years, probably since the departure of Prince, and I have been one of those guys. This speaks volumes to me that Lucroy is not a team leader in the sense that a leader figures out a way to lead instead of complains about the hand he's dealt.

[1992casey]

I'm fine with what Luc said. It's honest, and it's probably a very accurate assessment. I don't see it as undermining anything. And I certainly don't see it negating his status as a team leader during any time that he might still be here.

 

However, as some of the posts here indicate, it's reasonable that others may take his comments differently.

[3and2Fastball]

Lucroy's comments could potentially hurt a trade return, not help. He may be a good Catcher but he is far from a class act or a "team first" guy or any sort of leader in the slightest degree. Just because he thinks those things doesn't mean he should make comments like that in the media.

 

I seriously question his thinking process.

[jerichoholicninja]

Count me as being a bit sick and tired of Lucroy talking about this with the media. I get that he was being honest but he could also just as easily have said 'no comment' and left it at that. There is absolutely no reason, even if we are going to be terrible, to discourage fans from coming out to see the product on the field, and I think that when your all-star catcher makes comments like this it is exactly what it does. There have been posters on this site who have bemoaned the lack of clubhouse leadership the past few years, probably since the departure of Prince, and I have been one of those guys. This speaks volumes to me that Lucroy is not a team leader in the sense that a leader figures out a way to lead instead of complains about the hand he's dealt.

 

Agreed. None of us our in the clubhouse but just watching the games and listening to interviews there is no one on the team that jumps out as a leader since Prince. In theory a guy like Lucroy should be a leader but I haven't seen anything from him in his demeanor or way he plays that shows he is.

 

Generally I like when players are honest but this is the second time Lucroy has essentially said he wants to play for a winning team and pointed out the Brewers aren't a winning team. He doesn't have to be all rainbows and sunshine but he can be realistic without basically saying the team sucks.

[NievesNoNO]

Wow really another occasion with Lucroy talking bad about the team? Shocking.

 

Get the loser off the team already. All he does is complain and tell the team what they should do with him like he is the almighty God. Maybe he should shut his mouth and focus on his on the field performance. He was one of the reasons we were so horrible last year.

 

Does anyone have the questions being asked in the interview? Honestly, I think Hardricourt's article is crappy journalism. Maybe if I could see or hear the questions I'd think differently but there is no where that I can see where Lucroy demanded a trade or said " a trade would be best.."

 

Typically, the player doesn't call the journalist and ask to be questioned. The guy gave his time to answer some questions and told the truth. It's an article to create a reaction, which it did.

[DocLuna7]

Wow really another occasion with Lucroy talking bad about the team? Shocking.

 

Get the loser off the team already. All he does is complain and tell the team what they should do with him like he is the almighty God. Maybe he should shut his mouth and focus on his on the field performance. He was one of the reasons we were so horrible last year.

 

Does anyone have the questions being asked in the interview? Honestly, I think Hardricourt's article is crappy journalism. Maybe if I could see or hear the questions I'd think differently but there is no where that I can see where Lucroy demanded a trade or said " a trade would be best.."

 

Typically, the player doesn't call the journalist and ask to be questioned. The guy gave his time to answer some questions and told the truth. It's an article to create a reaction, which it did.

 

I agree with you that, generally speaking, TH is a pretty blah journalist. He also would be seriously lacking in doing his job if he didn't try and question Lucroy about the potential of being moved. Major League players are literally trained in how to deal with the media when going through the minor leagues and by the time they have played in the big leagues for as long as Lucroy has they have years of experience in dealing with reporters. I would say that there is a good chance that Lucroy knew exactly how his comments could be interpreted prior to opening his mouth to Haudricourt.

[dlk9s]

Did those criticizing Lucroy read the entire article? The things he said were not just being blunt - they were very reasonable. We didn't hear the tone in his voice; there is no reason to think he is angry or pouting. He's not hurling insults, he's not calling anyone out.

 

And don't worry about his words hurting his trade value. If there is a GM out there who now all of a sudden says to himself, "Wait...oh my god...why didn't I see it before? The Brewers are going to be bad this season! Hoho man, Lucroy just weakened their trade leverage BIG TIME! I'm so glad he spoke so candidly," then I hope we deal with his team, because he can be had easily.

[3and2Fastball]

And don't worry about his words hurting his trade value.

 

The player wanting out puts pressure on the team to deal him. Anecdotallly speaking, plenty of mentally dissatisfied players throughout MLB history have had sub-par seasons. If Lucroy doesn't play well in 2016, that hurts his trade value. As you are well aware, this isn't Strat-O-Matic and these players don't exist in a vacuum. Yes, Lucroy is a professional and I would hope he is working out like crazy getting ready for the 2016 season, but as I said, this could "potentially" hurt his trade value.

 

This puts Stearns in a bad spot. The player wants out. Stearns might be forced now to accept a lesser deal, or keep Lucroy and risk him having a subpar year and get labelled an attitude risk. As it I have to bet that plenty of MLB GM's are wondering if Lucroy is going to run his mouth in the press when he's on their team, too.

[adambr2]

And don't worry about his words hurting his trade value.

 

The player wanting out puts pressure on the team to deal him. Anecdotallly speaking, plenty of mentally dissatisfied players throughout MLB history have had sub-par seasons. If Lucroy doesn't play well in 2016, that hurts his trade value. As you are well aware, this isn't Strat-O-Matic and these players don't exist in a vacuum. Yes, Lucroy is a professional and I would hope he is working out like crazy getting ready for the 2016 season, but as I said, this could "potentially" hurt his trade value.

 

This puts Stearns in a bad spot. The player wants out. Stearns might be forced now to accept a lesser deal, or keep Lucroy and risk him having a subpar year and get labelled an attitude risk. As it I have to bet that plenty of MLB GM's are wondering if Lucroy is going to run his mouth in the press when he's on their team, too.

 

"If I stay with the Brewers, I'm not going to go out and dog it," he said. "I'm not going to be a bad teammate. I'm not going to be a bad clubhouse guy. I'm not going to be bitter. It's just part of the game.

 

"Right now, I'm planning on being with the Brewers. I'm not going to think anything different until something happens. It might and it might not. No one knows. I'm going to go out every day and compete with whatever team I'm with."

 

How do you get out of this statement that Lucroy wants out to the point of Stearns' hand being forced?

[jwill535]

If he is trading now, fine. He also knows that with his age, injury history and poor performance last year that he needs to go out and prove himself early on. If he is still with the Brewers at the beginning of the year, I fully expect him to play it like a contract year.

[And That]

Apparently Lucroy is no longer the gold standard for pitch framing.

 

Maybe another weight on the scale of you need to get what you can for him now?

[brewcrewdue80]

Ya'll didn't read the entire statements.

“I want to go out and tear it up. It wasn’t for a lack of effort last year,” said Lucroy. “I just did not compete at the level I know I’m capable of. There’s always doubters out there, which is fine. I plan on proving a lot of people wrong.”

That he has a chip on his shoulder.

“I’m not going to sit here and say we’re going to compete for the playoffs this year. If I did that, you’d call me a liar. I’d lose credibility and respect. I want to win and I don’t see us winning in the foreseeable future. I want to go to a World Series. That’s what all players want. Rebuilding is not a lot of fun for any veteran guy. … It’s not guaranteed that I’m going to win if I am traded. But I’m going to be a 30-year-old catcher (in June). I can’t put numbers on how much longer I’m going to play, but as players we want to win. I don’t care about the money; I just want to win. That’s the bottom line.”

 

Him being honest we're drilling him for that. He answered why. You'd call him a liar if he said this team can get to the World Series. I find nothing wrong with what he said. If Braun was making 5mil less in a year avg, I'm sure he'd be getting around to saying the same thing. Obviously Lucroy is a more attractive trade candidate than Braun so he's the one with trade questions.

Also, mind you he's a Catcher. Lucroy knows his longevity is likely a lot shorter than an avg position player. Him turning 30 is like Braun turning 35 and stating this. Kudos to Lucroy for wanting to win and state he doesn't care about the money.

[fondybrewfan]

I also read the entire article and in context I have no problems with anything that Lucroy said. He probably is getting towards the end of his career and can anone blame him for wanting to go somewhere and win. He specially said he hasn't asked to be traded and if he is traded he will come to Spring Training, be a good teammate, and not pout about. Seems like a perfectly reasonable opinion if you ask me.

[dlk9s]

Remember, Lucroy was clearly lying about the suitcase falling on his hand, too. The window probably slammed down on it while he was escaping with the neighbor kid's Robin Yount doll.

[pacopete4]

Lucroy just sounds like a whiner. It is very simple to say we are going to work our tails off to win as many games as we can next year and I am a Brewer until I am told otherwise. It is very simple to say that and when you're traded, move on. Now he comes across as a tool. Good riddance. Obviously you're not good enough of a catcher to help this staff grow and become competitive nor are you good enough of a hitter to help carry this team. The day he's traded will be a good day for many reasons.

[dlk9s]

http://i.imgur.com/XgOKN.gif

[And That]

He shouldn't have said that the team would be competing for the World Series this year, because they almost surely are not. But he also didn't need to say that the team wasn't going to compete for the playoffs, regardless of whether it is true or not. It's like when we make dinner for our kids, or especially when someone else cooks for them, we've taught them to always communicate what they like about the food, as opposed to, "CAULIFLOWER MASH EWW." And if they don't like anything about the meal, say thanks and move on. There's no reason to be focused on the negative.

 

So I can definitely understand how saying that the team won't be competitive will rub people the wrong way. Just because something is true, it doesn't mean you need to say it. Something to the effect of, "we're going to go out and compete and play good baseball and we'll see what happens" would be much, much better from a PR perspective. And completely (I would hope) truthful. And I guarantee you if he said that, people would not have been irked by it.

 

His comments are also colored by his comments last season about the Brewers' failures in drafting, which included some of his teammates. If he hadn't already had the history of negativity, I think people would have given him a longer leash with what he said yesterday.