Sox sign Jonathan Lucroy to a minor league deal

[ChiTownTrojan]

https://twitter.com/byrobertmurray/status/1357459871453507584?s=21

Much needed depth at catcher.

[vegandork]

He'll do

[voodoochile]

Emergency depth. Collins will be the everyday backup.

[HomeFish]

He's better than Collins.

[voodoochile]

He's better than Collins.

We just don't know that's true. Collins hasn't had time to prove himself at the major league level and Lucroy is on the downside of his career at 34 and hasn't posted above a 80 OPS+ in several years.

[ChiTownTrojan]

At the risk of revealing my ignorance on these matters, I have a question about “minor league deals.” I understand that Lucroy doesn’t need to be added to the 40 man at this point. But let’s say that he and Collins both make the team out of Spring Training, so he’ll have to be added to the roster then (I think this is likely). What happens if a month or two later (when Vaughn is called up) the team thinks they’re comfortable with Collins, and Lucroy gets demoted. Does he have to pass through waivers at that point, or can he get sent down freely as long as he is still on the 40 man? I assume if he is removed from the 40 man he would have to go through waivers.

[DeployEloy]

Emergency depth. Collins will be the everyday backup.

You think so? I’d think they’d want him to catch everyday, no? Hard to say for me. Could be open competition for that backup spot if they still believe Collins can stick at C.

[voodoochile]

At the risk of revealing my ignorance on these matters, I have a question about “minor league deals.” I understand that Lucroy doesn’t need to be added to the 40 man at this point. But let’s say that he and Collins both make the team out of Spring Training, so he’ll have to be added to the roster then (I think this is likely). What happens if a month or two later (when Vaughn is called up) the team thinks they’re comfortable with Collins, and Lucroy gets demoted. Does he have to pass through waivers at that point, or can he get sent down freely as long as he is still on the 40 man? I assume if he is removed from the 40 man he would have to go through waivers.

Yes. That's why I assume he won't be added to start the season but will be kept in the minors as depth in case Collins truly can't handle it or an injury occurs. He's emergency experienced depth, IMO.

[voodoochile]

One other thought is that if Collins gets comfortable early and starts OPS ~.800 the Sox might bring up LuCroy instead of Vaugh and let Collins be the primary LH DH with LuCroy as the 3rd catcher. I don't see that being likely but it's possible.

[thomas35forever]

I'll take him.

[HomeFish]

One other thought is that if Collins gets comfortable early and starts OPS ~.800 the Sox might bring up LuCroy instead of Vaugh and let Collins be the primary LH DH with LuCroy as the 3rd catcher. I don't see that being likely but it's possible.

I'm more worried about the Sox being unable to find a place to display Eloy's Gold Glove award than I am about Zack Collins OPSing .800.

[ChiTownTrojan]

I'm more worried about the Sox being unable to find a place to display Eloy's Gold Glove award than I am about Zack Collins OPSing .800.

Collins minor league stats indicate that he should be able to put up those numbers in the majors. Obviously he hasn't done it yet but it's not like he's gotten a ton of chances. Jury is still out, but if he can't put up an .800 OPS against mostly RHP then he has no future in MLB, and if the Sox thought there was no chance he could put those numbers up they would have signed a cheap backup C option to a major league deal.

[ChiTownTrojan]

One other thought is that if Collins gets comfortable early and starts OPS ~.800 the Sox might bring up LuCroy instead of Vaugh and let Collins be the primary LH DH with LuCroy as the 3rd catcher. I don't see that being likely but it's possible.

I can see this happening, but in reverse. The Sox start the season with both Collins and Lucroy on the roster, with a 3-man rotation covering C and DH on a daily basis. Once Vaughn is ready, the team makes a decision - either option Collins down to AAA, or DFA Lucroy.

The Sox aren't going to be too worried about losing the depth provided by Lucroy, because if they do DFA him it means that either Collins is handling himself well, or that Lucroy is toast. If Collins is doing well then that would be great, but if not they could probably get a backup C from a non-contender for dirt cheap during the season.

I think this is probably the plan going into the season, barring another unexpected acquisition to work into the DH mix.

[vegandork]

Emergency depth. Collins will be the everyday backup.

I don't think there's much of a chance of that happening now. But this might be good for Collins. If there's a AAA season, he'll get work behind the plate most days.

[voodoochile]

I don't think there's much of a chance of that happening now. But this might be good for Collins. If there's a AAA season, he'll get work behind the plate most days.

He'll be better served learning to hit Major League pitching and working with Grandal, IMO.