Jonathan Lucroy reportedly will head back to the AL West in 2019. He just won't be with the A's.
The veteran catcher agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, Fancred's Jon Heyman reported. The deal is worth $3.35 million, and up to $4 million with incentives, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan.
Sources: Jonathan Lucroy is close to an #LAAngrls dealβ Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 29, 2018
Catcher Jonathan Lucroy and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a one-year, $3.35 million deal, league sources tell Yahoo Sports. Lucroy took his physical today and deal should be official soon. He can make more than $4 million total with performance bonuses.β Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 29, 2018
The A's signed Lucroy late in free agency last offseason, and the 32-year-old stabilized a young, injury-riddled rotation en route to a 97-win season and Oakland's first postseason appearance since 2014. But Lucroy and the A's reportedly were far away on contract terms this winter, as Lucroy reportedly was unwilling to sign with the A's for less than he made last season. But, his reported contract value is less than the $6.5 million he made last season, and he'll join starting pitcher Trevor Cahill as a member of the 2018 A's to trade a green-and-gold "A" for a red one.
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Earlier this offseason, Oakland signed 31-year-old catcher Chris Herrmann to platoon with Josh Phegley behind the dish. General manager David Forst said at the MLB Winter Meetings this month that the A's would "still probably look around and see if there are options," and there are still plenty of possibilities left on the market.
As NBC Sports California's Ben Ross noted on Thursday, veteran catchers such as Matt Wieters and Nick Hundley remain available, should the A's consider any of them an upgrade. But the A's again will have to be patient in order to find any diamonds in the rough, and success with the strategy last offseason doesn't guarantee the same success going into 2019.