Veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Nationals agree to minor-league deal?

The Nationals have agreed to a minor league deal with catcher Jonathan Lucroy, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (Twitter links).

Lucroy returned to the free-agent market earlier this week when he asked to released from his previous minors deal with the White Sox, since Chicago wasn’t going to include him on the big-league roster. The Cubs showed some interest during Lucroy’s brief second stint on the open market, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported earlier Saturday that the Nats were considering the veteran backstop’s services.

Lucroy was a two-time All-Star in his heyday with the Brewers, but his production has fallen off in recent years, as he has hit only .237/.297/.338 over 782 plate appearances with four different organizations since the start of the 2018 season. If Lucroy sees any time on Washington’s active roster, the Nats will become his eighth different franchise, and 2021 will be his 12th major-league season.

Yan Gomes and Alex Avila already provide the Nationals with a veteran tandem behind the plate, and Tres Barrera was also due to be called up before Washington’s season-opening series with the Mets was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Nats’ clubhouse. It’s possible Lucroy could be a replacement for Welington Castillo, who also sided a minor-league deal with D.C. over the winter but was sidelined with a shoulder problem throughout spring training.