Jonathan Lucroy is starting to heat up after a slow start in camp and is making a case to make the Boston Red Sox Opening Day roster.
The position battle for the backup catcher role is getting tight as we inch closer to Opening Day. Christian Vazquez will remain the primary option behind the plate on the heels of his breakout season but the backup spot is up for grabs.
Kevin Plawecki was the clear front-runner early in camp. He’s been swinging a hot stick, slashing .471/.609/.471 in 17 at-bats. Plawecki has yet to record an extra-base hit but it’s hard to ignore the lofty on-base percentage, even in a small sample.
It was tough sledding for Jonathan Lucroy in the early going. The veteran catcher began the exhibition season in a 3-for-16 (.188) slump but he’s starting to turn things around. Serving as the designated hitter on Monday, Lucroy collected a base hit and a pair of walks to raise his OBP to a strong .409 this spring. The .235 batting average is a bit disappointing but the two doubles he’s recorded proves there’s still some pop in that bat.
Lucory has been a shell of his former All-Star form in recent years while batting a neck injury. He underwent a procedure to correct the issue in the offseason and the Red Sox scooped him up on a low-risk minor league deal. He came to camp looking to prove he still has something left in the tank and we’re starting to see signs of the reclamation project paying off.
Ron Roenicke has noticed that Lucroy’s swing is starting to resemble what he saw in Milwaukee when he managed him during the peak of his career. The Red Sox interim manager said that Lucroy is opening some eyes in camp, per Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald.
Lucroy is also drawing rave reviews for his work behind the plate. While he was viewed as a strong defensive catcher early in his career, the metrics have taken a steep dive in recent seasons. The neck injury that limited his mobility probably played a part in that but at 33 years old, he’s probably beyond the point where we can expect him to regain peak form.
He’s been working with Jason Varitek, the long-time Red Sox catcher who was well regarded for his skills at the position and remained a valuable asset behind the plate deep into his 30’s. If anyone can help Lucroy age gracefully as a catcher, it’s Varitek.
The steady progress from Lucroy has the Red Sox considering carrying three catchers on the roster to open the season. There isn’t much depth at the position in the farm system so Boston would be reluctant to let Lucroy or Plawecki go. If they both perform well enough to warrant a spot, why not keep both? The addition of a 26th man to MLB rosters this season will make it easier to carry three catchers.
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There won’t be consistent playing time for both backup catchers with Vazquez hogging the majority of the starts. That has the Red Sox toying with the idea of using Lucroy at first base, which he’s done on occasion throughout his career. Lucroy has logged 56 career games at first.
While that would be one way to get Lucroy steady at-bats, giving him time at first base further jams a crowded position. Michael Chavis is platooning with Mitch Moreland, with the former seeing the bulk of his playing time against lefties.
Lucroy is a right-handed bat without notable splits but he’s been slightly better versus left-handed pitching. That suggests that if he’s stealing playing time from anyone, it’ll be Chavis. The young infielder is already pressed for the playing time he needs to develop and adding Lucroy to the mix does him no favors.
Another veteran capable of manning first base could keep Bobby Dalbec trapped in Triple-A. Speculation that he could open the season in Boston was dashed when he was among the latest wave of roster cuts but the expectation is that Dalbec will be ready to make his big league debut this season. The question is when the Red Sox will be ready to find room for him.
Roenicke clearly has a soft spot for Lucroy from their days together with the Brewers. He wants to see him succeed so that the Red Sox can keep him around, even if it comes at the expense of the younger players they need to develop.
Boston may lean on veterans like Lucroy early in the season but if they start to fall out of the playoff race then we should see playing time shift toward the kids. That would leave less time available at first base for Lucroy and there may no longer be room for a third catcher at that point.