All-Star Jonathan Lucroy vetoes trade from Milwaukee Brewers to Cleveland Indians

Milwaukee Brewers All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy vetoed a trade to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

The Brewers and Indians had agreed on a trade Saturday night that would have sent Lucroy to the Indians in exchange for four prospects.

Lucroy sat out Saturday’s game as the trade talks were completed and was not in the lineup Sunday despite the trade being off.

The Indians were one of eight teams on Lucroy’s no-trade list.

“There were some circumstances that came up that made me void it, obviously,” Lucroy said in the dugout two hours before Sunday’s game. “I think when it eventually comes out, I think you’ll understand why.”

Lucroy said during the offseason that he wanted to play for a winner and wasn’t sure he wanted to go through Milwaukee’s rebuilding process.

“I’m looking for long-term, not short-term,” Lucroy said Sunday. “Short-term is great, but long-term is more important for me and my family’s happiness.”

Brewers general manager David Stearns said the Brewers had no choice but to accept Lucroy’s decision and there was no frustration or disappointment on his part.

“We know that this is part of the process,” Stearns said. “It’s why we engage with multiple teams throughout the entirety of negotiation. Jonathan elected to invoke the no-trade clause. Certainly, we were aware that was one of the possibilities.”

Stearns said the Brewers continue to be active in talks.

“We’ll continue to evaluate the market, like we will with a number of players on our roster. If something propels us to make a move between now and 3 p.m. (CT) tomorrow, we’ll do so.”

Lucroy, a two-time All-Star, is batting .300 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs this season. He has a $4 million salary this year as part of a contract that includes a $5.25 million team option for 2017.

The Indians were desperate for help behind the plate with starting catcher Yan Gomes out for another month with a separated shoulder. Gomes was having the worst offensive year of his career and his backups, Roberto Perez and Chris Gimenez, were the worst offensive collection of catchers in the American League.

In the proposed deal, the Brewers would have received four prospects with the centerpiece being switch-hitting catcher Francisco Mejia, the Indians’ sixth-ranked prospect. Playing for Class A Advanced Lynchburg, the 20-year-old Mejia has a 42-game hitting streak. He is batting .333 with two homers and 12 RBIs at Lynchburg. He started the season at Class A Lake County, where he hit .347 with seven homers and 51 RBIs.

Milwaukee also would have received shortstop Yu-Cheng Chang, outfielder Greg Allen and a fourth unnamed prospect. Cheng and Allen also play for Lynchburg.

Chang, 20, is hitting .272 with 12 homers and 69 RBIs. Allen, 23, has four homers and 31 RBIs and has stolen 38 bases.