Longtime Rockies All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays along with LaTroy Hawkins, confirms CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. There’s no word on the full return yet, but Jose Reyes is part of what is going back to Colorado along with reliever Miguel Castro. Two more prospects are headed to the Rockies as well, with multiple reports indicating that prized pitching prospect Jeff Hoffman being one of them.
Tulowitzki, 30, was drafted by the Rockies in the first round, seventh overall, in 2005 and has spent his entire professional career with the franchise. He’s a five-time All-Star and twice finished fifth in NL MVP voting. To say he’s a Rockies franchise icon is an understatement.
This season, Tulowitzki is hitting .300/.348/.471 with 19 doubles, 12 homers and 53 RBI.
The Blue Jays have the top offense in baseball by a significant margin when it comes to runs scored, but they have had pitching issues. The move for Tulowitzki makes their offense even better than before.
Tulowitzki has long been discussed as a possible trade candidate for the seemingly perpetually rebuilding Rockies, but ownership has long held tightly to their franchise centerpiece. It looks like now they are ready to turn the reins over to All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado.
Reyes, 32, is hitting .285/.322/.385 with 17 doubles, four homers, 16 steals and 36 runs this season. He, like Tulo, has had durability issues for the past several years.
Hawkins, 42, has a 3.63 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 20 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings this season. The Blue Jays would be his 11th team in 21 big-league seasons. He provides bullpen depth for the Jays, but it’s doubtful he can be a very effective closer or setup man in the AL at this point in his career.
Castro, 20, is a 6-foot-5 right-hander and was the Jays closer for a short stint earlier this season before his struggles led to a trip back to the minors. In 13 outings in the bigs, Castro had a 4.38 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. In the minors, he has a 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 27 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings. So he’s maintained the high strikeout rate while allowing far too many baserunners wherever he’s been.
Hoffman, 22, was the Blue Jays’ first-round pick in 2014 out of East Carolina University. He would have gone higher, but he had Tommy John surgery. In his return this season, he’s 3-3 with a 2.93 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 46 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings between High-A (11 starts) and Double-A (two starts).
There is no money changing hands, per Heyman, so the Jays will owe Tulowitzki $94 million over the course of the next five seasons with a $15 million club option for 2021. Meantime — if they don’t flip him, which seems unlikely — the Rockies owe Jose Reyes $44 million in 2016-17 with a $22 million club option for 2018.
News of the trade to Toronto was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Troy Tulowitzki is finally headed out of Colorado. (USATSI)
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