The Red Sox will get rid of catcher Jonathan Lucroy from their roster today and contact right-hander Chris Mazza from their alternate training website in Pawtucket, Chad Jennings and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report (through Twitter). The exact nature of the relocation isnt clear. Its possible that Lucroy will simply be designated for assignment, though its likewise imaginable that he might be shipped to another club with a need for catching depth.
In his place, the Sox will add the 30-year-old Mazza– an offseason waiver claim out of the Mets organization who has simply 16 1/3 MLB innings under his belt. While Mazza does not have much big league experience, he kipped down a 3.67 ERA with 7.3 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in 76 Triple-A frames in 2015– especially strong marks offered the offensive surge there. Mazza has a general ERA of 3.72 or better at every individual minors level and has a composite 3.21 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. Hes regularly posted outstanding ground-ball mark also, thanks to a heavy sinker that has among the most affordable spin rates in MLB (which, when it comes to sinkers, is an advantage).
More than three complete years have passed given that Lucroy enjoyed his last above-average season at the plate, but for a time, he was thought about to be among the games elite backstops. From 2012-16, Lucroy batted.291/.353/.465 (120 OPS+) while drawing elite framing marks and registering a solid 27.5 percent caught-stealing rate.
Lucroy, 34, cracked Bostons Opening Day roster as a 3rd catcher behind Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki, however hes yet to tally a plate appearance with the Sox. He divided the 2019 season in between the Angels and Cubs, hitting at a combined.232/.305/.355 rate in 101 games and 328 plate looks.
