Detroit Tigers: Building Ideal Jonathan Lucroy Trade

The Centerpiece: James McCann

If any trade for Lucroy happens for the Tigers, there’s a good chance James McCann will be involved. Rosenthal suggested as much in another tweet, writing, “The #Mets reportedly offered d’Arnaud for Lucroy; perhaps #Tigers could start with McCann. #brewers want high-end prospects as well.”

For as bright of a future as McCann has, Lucroy is much more of a finished product and is an elite performer at his position on both sides of the ball. What’s more, there wouldn’t be room on the Detroit roster if McCann wasn’t in the hypothetical Lucroy swap.

The Tigers starter is obviously capable of starting, and the Tigers wouldn’t benefit by sticking him and his .539 OPS on the bench behind Lucroy. As of now, Jarrod Saltalamacchia is a much better fit as a deputy backstop due to his ability to hit for power.

Additionally, Milwaukee doesn’t have a ton of options to replace Lucroy in the long run, so sending McCann to the Brewers in any deal makes sense. MLB.com’s prospect rankings only lists two catchers, Jacob Nottingham and Mario Feliciano, among the top 25 prospects in the Milwaukee system.

Nottingham could potentially move off the positon at some point, while Feliciano is only 17 and won’t come close to reaching the big leagues for some time. In addition to Lucroy, the Brewers incumbent catching options at the Major League level include Martin Maldonado and Jake Elmore.

Maldonado has hit just .198 since the start of the 2013 season, while Elmore is an emergency catcher, who has only seen action in one game behind the plate. The 29-year-old is more of a utility player in the mold of Mike Aviles.

The Other Pieces/ Prospects: Tyler Alexander, Jairo Labourt, Austin Kubitza and Steven Moya. Milwaukee also sends reliever Will Smith to Detroit.

The Detroit Tigers need to build for the future while also staying in contention at present. That means that the organization probably shouldn’t deal young arms like Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, Joe Jimenez or Beau Burrows.

Position players like JaCoby Jones, Christin Stewart, Derek Hill, Michael Gerber, Jose Azocar and Dixon Machado should also be off limits in any trade discussions.

That doesn’t leave the deepest pool of prospects from which to get a deal done, but Detroit’s system isn’t without promising players.

Of the pitching prospects listed in the hypothetical trade, Alexander is perhaps the best bet to reach the Major Leagues. The left-hander profiles as a mid-rotation arm, and has pitched to a 2.27 ERA in 95.1 innings for Lakeland this season. However, despite the promising stats, he isn’t essential to the Tigers’ future.

By the time he reaches the big leagues, Justin Verlander and Jordan Zimmermann will both likely still be under contract with Detroit, as will Michael Fulmer. The rest of the rotation could be comprised of some combination of Norris, Boyd and Burrows.

This is all without mentioning recent draft picks Matt Manning and Kyle Funkhouser. Manning has the look of a future ace, while Funkhouser profiles as a second or third starter.

Labourt and Kubitza could both make it to the big leagues as either starting pitchers or relievers. Labourt has considerable upside, but also is prone to a high number of walks and runs allowed.

Additionally, Moya gives the Brewers a potential successor to Ryan Braun in the outfield and as a hitter in the middle of the Milwaukee lineup. The young outfielder has a chance to eclipse the 30 home run mark in the Majors, but his defensive shortcomings are holding him back.

What’s more, Moya could very well be blocked in Motown should J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton stick around for the long haul.

Rounding out the hypothetical transaction is Will Smith. The reliever has pitched to a 3.28 ERA, a 3.02 FIP and a 2.77 SIERA since joining the Brewers in 2014. He’s also struck out 11.8 batters per nine innings over that span, and has a respectable 3.72 ERA this season.

The left-hander, who (per Spotrac) is controllable through 2019, would slot in alongside the likes of Shane Greene, Justin Wilson and Bruce Rondon in giving manager Brad Ausmus another setup option.

Next: Steve Pearce an Ideal Trade Target for Detroit Tigers

With the Brewers in rebuilding mode, they may not have a need for a 27-year-old reliever like Smith. Moving him could open up more innings for young relievers like Corey Knebel and prospects like Josh Hader and Jorge Lopez.