Here's the report from Buster Olney. Tom Hamilton was saying that he is a very credible source:


Indians in talks to acquire catcher Jonathan Lucroy from Brewers, source says
6:00 PM ET

Buster Olney ESPN Senior Writer



The Cleveland Indians are in talks to acquire catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the Milwaukee Brewers, according to a source.

The Indians lost starting catcher Yan Gomes to a right shoulder injury on Sunday, and rehabbing outfielder Michael Brantley recently suffered a setback.
Jonathan Lucroy would provide the Indians with a veteran starting catcher and a strong bat in their lineup. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Gomes, 28, was hitting .165 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs when he stumbled running over first base Sunday and suffered a separated shoulder.

That left the starting catcher's job for the next couple of months in the hands of Roberto Perez, who has just 339 at-bats over three seasons.

Brantley was scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday after developing soreness in his surgically repaired right shoulder while on a rehab assignment with Class AA Akron. He has played in just 11 games this season.

Lucroy went into Wednesday with a .305 average, 12 home runs and 45 RBIs for Milwaukee.

Hi JOE!
Good to see you posting!

I've been lurking JR. (Trying to keep out of trouble )

Just watched the Mariners take out the White Sox in 11 innings.

It struck me.

I believe our GREATEST advantage in the division race is the fact that Robin Ventura and Brad Ausmus continually manage drastically underachieving teams.

Come on, seems every offseason these teams reload and look damn dangerous.

Tigers sign Jordan Zimmerman and K Rod. Add to Victor, Kinsler, Miggy, JD Martinez, some killer hitters. Once again, nothing.

Chisox again load up this offseason with Frazier leading the way. Did the same last offseason. Nothing!

If I were management for those two teams I'd be firing those 2 managers. Tons of money spent, and crap for results every season.

Luckily for us, they don't fire them, they just keep underachieving.

Meanwhile we chug along with one of the best managers in the game. And I might add Callaway to the mix as well, but after all he IS hired by the manager.

Meanwhile trouble in Texas, and it's not the manager. PS - huge mistake for Texas shelling out huge bucks for Choo.


Shin-Soo Choo - OF - Rangers

Rangers placed Shin-Soo Choo on the 15-day disabled list with lower back inflammation.
Tough day for the Rangers, who placed both Choo and Prince Fielder (neck) on the disabled list. Fielder's is the more serious of the two injuries and could possibly require a season-ending surgery. As for Choo, this is not thought to be a major back ailment and it is possible he returns after the minimum 15 days on the disabled list.
Jul 20 - 6:53 PM



Prince Fielder - DH - Rangers

Rangers placed DH Prince Fielder on the 15-day disabled list with a herniated disc in his neck.
On Monday, Fielder told manager Jeff Banister he was feeling the same symptoms he felt prior to undergoing fusion surgery on his neck in 2014. He will visit Dr. Drew Dossett on Friday. Dossett was the one who performed the surgical procedure on Fielder two years ago. A repeat surgery is one possibility, but this picture should become more clear after the slugger has his checkup.

Sounds like you a good time in WI, Joe. We're getting by without you here, but it takes a solid rotation, excellent defense, and homeruns that you couldn't predict.

I'd think the offensive focus would be on 3rd base or LF [since it doesn't look like we're getting Brantley back]. I'm comfortable with the catchers we have, who can't hit worse than Gomes [although not much better, either] and know our pitchers. We can field a team with eight quality hitters, at least until they haul some of the overachievers away for PED use.

Civ! It wasn't a matter of performance. Basically, the prediction is a matter of history. barring a collapse, it's very difficult to overcome or lose a +5 games advantage at the all-star break.

FYI, if Carrasco had a few more innings in his workload, he'd be leading the AL in ERA by nearly half a run a game. Which really doesn't surprise me. I think he's the best pitcher in the league, and am disappointed his 6+ weeks on the DL will prevent from winning the Cy Young. Probably.

Here's the first Stretch Drive Deal we didn't make. There will likely be many more:


THE DEAL

The Cubs had one of the majors’ best bullpens in 2015, but that group has taken a step back in ’16, one of the few areas of the team that can’t be characterized as a strength. To that end, Chicago traded from its prospect inventory to add to its bullpen, dealing Triple-A first baseman Dan Vogelbach and Double-A righthander Paul Blackburn to the Mariners on Wednesday for lefthander Mike Montgomery and righthanded swingman Jordan Pries.

MARINERS ACQUIRE
Dan Vogelbach, 1b/dh
Age: 23

Vogelbach, 23, is in the midst of his best performance as a full-season player, coming at Triple-A Iowa. The 2011 second-round pick out of Bishop Verot High in Fort Myers, Fla., has improved his power production this year (career-best .548 slugging) as a result of his improved control of the strike zone. Instead of being merely content to take a walk, Vogelbach has progressed to find his hot zones, figuring out which pitches to drive, which ones to lay off and which ones to try to spoil. Vogelbach has a chance to hit 20-25 home runs annually while hitting for average, and he’s even a decent enough runner underway, as he’s worked hard to keep his listed 6-foot, 250-pound body from getting out of control. He’s long been criticized for his defense and has worked hard to play first base every day, rather than playing DH in the minors. He has decent enough hands and plays with effort defensively; however, he lacks agility and has an inconsistent arm stroke that leads to inaccurate throws and errors. His best fit is as a DH, an opportunity he’ll get in Seattle.


Iowa (PCL) AAA .318 89 305 53 97 18 2 16 64 55 67 0 .425 .548

Paul Blackburn, rhp
Age: 22

In Blackburn and Jen Ho-Tseng, the Cubs had two pitchability righthanders at Double-A Tennessee they hoped would develop into the elusive homegrown starter. Tseng has the better changeup and Blackburn has the better curveball. Drafted in 2012, Blackburn signed for $911,700 and has moved slowly, compounded in 2015 by two disabled list stints—one for a fluke right foot injury, then for forearm soreness that kept him out of the Carolina League playoffs. His profile hasn’t changed much over the years when he’s healthy and at his best. Blackburn’s fastball tops out at 93 mph, but he can move it in and out well and he fills the bottom of the strike zone. The curveball is an above-average offering and he has a solid-average changeup. He also gets groundball outs and keeps the ball in the ballpark.

Tennessee (SL) AA 6 4 3.17 18 18 102.1 96 47 36 6 26 72


CUBS ACQUIRE
Mike Montgomery, lhp
Age: 27

The former Royals and Rays prospect has found new life in Seattle as a high-leverage reliever this year, posting a 2.34 ERA in his first 61 2/3 innings while shackling lefthanded hitters (11-for-67, .523 OPS). He’s done it working around 95 mph with both four- and two-seam fastballs along with a much-improved curveball, which was the bane of his development as a touted Royals minor leaguer. The Mariners had moved him into their rotation for a pair of starts, but Chicago seems more likely to need his help in the bullpen than in the rotation.


Seattle (AL) MAJ 3 4 2.34 32 0 62 49 18 16 3 18 54


Jordan Pries, rhp
Age: 26

Pries is a strike-throwing swingman who was a 30th-round pick in 2011 from Stanford. A pitchability righthander with a fringe-average fastball, Pries is potential bullpen fodder for the Cubs.

Jackson (SL) AA 5 2 5.46 13 9 59 75 38 36 8 14 62
Tacoma (PCL) AAA 2 1 3.65 7 3 25 24 10 10 0 7 21

Sounds like we really want Miller or Chapman. Hope we don't have to kick in the kitchen sink for one or both of them.

I certainly think either of those guys are "kitchen sink" type guys. Chapman a pure rental so maybe a tad less.

Be interesting to know if teams all of a sudden are asking for Naquin.

Joe Thatcher - R - Dodgers

Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports that the Indians have reached an agreement on a minor league deal with Joe Thatcher.

The veteran southpaw exercised the opt-out clause in his deal with the Dodgers back in early June and has been looking for a better opportunity since.

He registered a 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 20/5 K/BB ratio over 14 innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Given the struggles in the Cleveland bullpen, he should work his way up to the big league club in relative short order.

Key word there being southpaw.