The Colorado Rockies are determined to break their playoff drought. The team proved it wasn’t willing to coast after a strong first half, picking up catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later.

The 31-year-old Lucroy has had a tough season, hitting just .242/.297/.338, with four home runs, in 306 plate appearances. He’s one year removed from making the All-Star team, however, and has been an above average hitter in the past. The Rockies may feel the thin air in Colorado will help get his bat back on track.

Even if it doesn’t, Lucroy is still a massive upgrade over the Rockies’ other options. The team’s catchers have combined for a 43 wRC+, an advanced stat that measures offensive performance, the worst figure in the league.

Colorado has relied on a trio of Tony Wolters, Ryan Hanigan and Dustin Garneau behind the plate most of the year. Tom Murphy was expected to take on a larger role with the team at the beginning of the year, but injuries have limited him to just eight games. Together, that quartet has hit just .231/.314/.309, with three home runs, over 412 plate appearances.

There’s a lot at stake for Lucroy in his new digs. Lucroy is in the final year of his contract, and will be a free-agent at the end of the season. With a strong second half, he could not only help propel the Rockies to the playoffs for the first time since 2009, but also salvage his season and secure himself a hefty contract when he hits the market.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!