Troy Tulowitzki Joins Star Filled Toronto Blue Jays Lineup

Jul 20, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2) reacts during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

JAYS TRADE FOR TULO

After all of the experts, fans, and players alike expecting one of the two New York franchises to get Troy Tulowitzki onboard, Alex Anthopoulos and the Toronto Blue Jays make the surprising move of trading for him. It certainly cost them a lot, and left many fans wondering what just happened. Like a sucker punch victim, fans and experts are trying to shake off the cobwebs and decide whether or not they like this deal for the Jays, and what it means for the remainder of the year.

In order to better assess whether or not Troy Tulowitzki‘s addition makes the Jays a better franchise this year and beyond, we need to look at the trade as a whole and how it impacts the Toronto Blue Jays franchise.

TROY TULOWITZKI vs JOSE REYES

The main ingredients in this trade, we’ll see how they pan out head-to-head. Here are some of the basics, including contract issues, Age, Fielding %, WAR, Batting Average, OBP, Pitches Taken, and Power vs Speed:

Toronto Blue Jays

• Jose Reyes (61.5) and Troy Tulowitzki (62.2) are separated by a mere 0.7 in the Elias Rankings.
• Jose Reyes is 32 and injury prone, Troy Tulowitzki is 30 and injury prone.
• Jose Reyes has a contract through 2017 at $22M per season with an option for 2018 ($4M if not picked up), and he will be 35 when his contract ends (if his option is picked up, 34 if not).
• Troy Tulowitzki has a contract through 2020 at $20M per season ($14M in 2020), with a club option for 2021, Tulo will be 35 when his contract ends (if his option is picked up, 34 if not).
• So in terms of rankings, injuries, and contract status, the Jays are not changing much except for the fact that the contract has more length remaining and Tulo has the following incentives in his contract: Salaries in ’20 and ’21 could increase by $6M depending on MVP votes, Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers or All-Star selections Award bonuses, including $25,000 for Gold Glove.

As pointed out on Cot’s, the Jays will finish paying off Ricky Romero – $7.75M, Mark Buehrle – $20M, and Dioner Navarro – $5M this year, which provides them with around $35M off the books when Hawkins is considered.

AGE

The Jays just got 2 years younger, theoretically, but when a baseball player is dealing with hip issues, you have to be worried. The hip issues make age a draw overall.

Next: More Benefits of Trading for Tuluwitzki