With the dust still settling after a flurry of moves in front of the non-waiver trade deadline on Monday, one of the biggest stories to digest was All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy vetoing a deal that would've sent him to the Indians and then being traded to the Rangers the following day.
Those are the two AL teams with the best records right now, so there was definitely some power shifting between the maneuvering. As for how the Indians felt, consider the following Indians catcher Chris Gimenez, via cleveland.com in the aftermath:
That reaction carried a vibe more along the lines of: "You don't want to be here? Well, then we don't want you."
"His loss," Gimenez said. "I don't have any idea why he did [veto]; I just know he said something [previously] about how he wanted to play for a contender. He had the opportunity."
Gimenez would be correct, as Lucroy made his feelings known last winter that he wanted to play for a contender. Still, he had the no-trade clause for a reason and was within his rights to veto the deal. Now he is playing for a contender, too, just a different one.
More from Gimenez (cleveland.com):
"Even though he plays my position, he's definitely an upgrade," Gimenez said. "It'd be ridiculous to say that he wasn't. He definitely could've helped. At the same time, we feel pretty strongly about the guys we have here, too. Unfortunately, he chose not to be a part of it.
"Hopefully, we can win the World Series and we'll be laughing at him."
In order to get there, they might have to dispatch of Lucroy's Rangers, too.
Also of note: The Rangers have a big problem with the Blue Jays. Remember? So there are two potential playoff matchups involving the Rangers (if they get there, obviously) that have a little added juice. Fun times.
