Blue Jays: How the prospects from the 2015 trade deadline have fared

July 27th

To the Blue Jays: INF Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins

To the Colorado Rockies: INF Jose Reyes, RHP Miguel Castro, RHP Jeff Hoffman, and RHP Jesus Tinoco

RHP – Miguel Castro

Making his debut in 2015, Miguel Castro was a younger piece in the bullpen at the time and would be used sparingly at the big league level before being traded. With the Blue Jays, he would pitch to a 4.38 ERA through 13 outings where he would amass four saves with six walks and 12 strikeouts through 12.1 innings.

After the trade, Castro would join the Rockies minor league system and was called up to the Major League roster when the rosters expanded on Septmeber 1st. He would spend the rest of next season with Colorado before being traded in the 2016/2017 offseason to the Baltimore Orioles, where he spent almost four seasons before being dealt to the New York Mets at the 2020 trade deadline.

For his career, the right-hander sports a 4.13 ERA with 311 strikeouts,1.404 WHIP, and seven saves through 353.1 innings with all four organizations. He will be eligible for free agency after next season. He made the most appearances for the Mets this season with 69 and finished fifth in terms of innings pitched with 70.1.

RHP – Jeff Hoffman

Drafted by the Blue Jays ninth overall in the 2014 MLB Draft, Jeff Hoffman was one of the top eligible draftees that year but would see his stock drop after undergoing Tommy John surgery prior to the draft. He would make his pro debut in 2015 within the Jays minor league system until he was traded to the Rockies, one of the focal points of the deal given his high prospect ranking.

Hoffman struggled to find a spot in the Rockies starting rotation over the next five seasons, failing to appear in more than 100.0 innings each season and splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. The Rockies would trade him this past offseason to the Cincinnati Reds where he would begin the season as a starter before finishing in the bullpen, with a shoulder injury midway through the campaign being the reason for the move.

For his career, Hoffman sports a 5.96 ERA through 303.2 innings of work and appears to be more of a bullpen arm rather than a starter at 28 years old. The East Carolina University alum has 276 strikeouts and 152 walks to his credit in the big leagues and is not eligible for free agency until 2025.

RHP – Jesus Tinoco

The final piece of the Troy Tulowitzki deal, right-hander Jesus Tinoco was pitching in A ball when he was included in the trade to the Colorado Rockies at just 20 years old.

He would make his Major League debut in 2019 for the Rockies squad and would be traded to the Miami Marlins midway through last season in exchange for RHP Chad Smith.

Fast forward a few weeks later and the Marlins designated Tinoco for assignment and the Rockies reclaimed him before DFA as well, with the right-hander slipping through the waiver wire and heading down to AAA.

The Venezuelan prospect began the 2021 season in AAA before being called back up to the big leagues on July 28th for one game, giving up five earned runs through 1.1 innings, before sending him back down to AAA the next day, where he would finish the season.