The Los Angeles Angels have signed catcher Jonathan Lucroy to a one-year, $3.35-million deal, the team announced Saturday.
Lucroy can make more than $4 million total with performance bonuses, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
The club made the deal official on Saturday.
While his numbers at the dish were below career averages last season, Lucroy's work behind the plate made him a commodity in a slim free-agent market for catchers.
2018 defense
| PLAYER | INN | DEF | FLD% | CS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Lucroy | 1066.1 | 11.0 | .989 | 30% |
Angels backstops ranked among the league's best in defense last season, according to FanGraphs, but with six different catchers making an appearance throughout the year, it's evident the club was looking for a linchpin.
Lucroy should provide the Angels with veteran stability in front of backup Kevan Smith and be a mentor to the team's pitching staff.
Besides being in their price range, #Angels like Lucroy’s rapport with pitchers and think some offensive rebound is possible.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 29, 2018
The two-time All-Star spent last season with the Oakland Athletics, hitting .241/.291/.325 with 51 RBIs in 126 games.
Over the course of his nine big-league seasons, Lucroy has hit .277/.337/.421 with 100 home runs and 509 RBIs.
