Rangers Get Lucroy and Jeffress from the Brewers: Fantasy Impact

By Brad Kelly | Aug 1, 2016

Jul 20, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress (21) and catcher Jonathan Lucroy (20) celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Milwaukee won 9-5. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

The Texas Rangers continued their trade deadline shopping spree by acquiring Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress from the Milwaukee Brewers. What is the fantasy impact of the trade?

Jonathan Lucroy has had an interesting couple of days, as he shunned the Indians, and is now headed to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers already solidified their lineup with the addition of Carlos Beltran, but adding Lucroy serves as an even greater get, thanks to his defensive prowess behind the plate. Oh, and they also happen to get a pretty good throw in, with Jeremy Jeffress heading to Arlington as well.

Lucroy is undoubtedly one of the best catchers in the game, and has one of the most team friendly deals to boot. He has a .299/13 HR/50 RBI/5 SB/.841 OPS line in 2016, and is only two seasons removed from notching 68 XBH. He immediately deepens the lineup, and his stick will surely transition to Globe Life. Like Beltran, Lucroy will step into a lineup with a better supporting class, so the counting stats will definitely be there.

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The Texas Rangers knew that they had to bring in another bullpen arm as well after Shawn Tolleson imploded this season. Bringing in Jeffress was a great addition to the deal, as he had stepped in for the Brewers this season, and has locked down the closer gig. He has a, 27 SV/2.22 ERA/35 K line over 44 innings. Jeffress’ fantasy value does take a hit though, as it looks as though Sam Dyson will hold onto the closer gig in Texas.

The Brewers did surrender some of their high end major league assets, but they did get a good return by acquiring consensus top-50 prospect , Lewis Brinson, and top-100 prospect, Luis Ortiz. Brinson is not too far way from debuting in the majors, but has struggled this season posting a, .237/11 HR/41 RBI/13 SB/.708 OPS line, while spending most of his time in AA.

Brinson is only one year removed from posting a monster, .332/20 HR/69 RBI/18 SB/1.004 OPS line, so the talent did not suddenly vanish. He does need to draw more walks to showcase his speed, and will have to adjust to better pitching as he keeps moving up the ranks. All in all, if everything goes right, Brinson will be the Brewers’ starting CF in the near future.

Luis Ortiz brings a solid track record to Milwaukee as well. In 2016, between high-A and AA ball, he has posted a, 3.48 ERA/62 K/13 BB line. He is only 20-years-old, so there is still time for him to develop, but he already profiles as a mid rotation arm.

The Rangers did an admirable job in netting Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress without getting rid of Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo, and this move builds their club for a deep October run. The Brewers are continuing their rebuild, and now Brinson and Ortiz will surely be integral parts of the process. Lucroy’s fantasy value will improve, and Jeffress will still hold value in leagues that reward Holds, this deal appears as a winner for both sides.

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