Rockies trade Troy Tulowitzki to Blue Jays for Jose Reyes, prospects
The Colorado Rockies have traded shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins to the Toronto Blue Jays for shortstop Jose Reyes and three minor-league pitchers—Miguel Castro, Jeff Hoffman and Jesus Tinoco—the teams announced on Tuesday. Toronto will also assume all the financial responsibility for the nearly $100 million left on Tulowitzki's contract. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal was the first to report a deal late Monday night.
The 30-year-old Tulowitzki has been with the Rockies for the entirety of his career, as Colorado originally drafted him with the seventh pick in the first round in 2005. After the '11 season, Tulowitzki signed a 10-year, $157 million contract extension, keeping him signed with the Rockies through 2020 with a team option for 2021. He has $94 million remaining on his deal, not counting the $15 million option for '21. According to Rosenthal, Tulowitzki will receive a $2 million assignment bonus because he was traded, and he also now holds a full no-trade clause.
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Reyes, 32, was acquired as part of Toronto's blockbuster deal with the Miami Marlins at the end of the 2012 season, which saw Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, John Buck and Emilio Bonifacio go to the Blue Jays in exchange for a seven-player package that included Henderson Alvarez and Yunel Escobar. After this season, Reyes has two more years and $44 million left on his contract, as well as a $22 million team option for 2018.
Both players have missed significant time due to injuries in recent seasons. With the Blue Jays, Reyes played in just 93 games in 2013 and has appeared in 69 so far this year after missing time due to cracked ribs. Tulowitzki played in just 47, 126 and 91 games from '12 to '14, respectively, due to injuries to his left groin and hip, and has appeared in 87 games this year.
Tulowitzki, a five-time All-Star, is hitting .305/.353/.478 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs this season. Reyes, a four-time All-Star, is hitting .285/.322/.385 with four home runs and 16 stolen bases. Hawkins, 42, has a 3.63 ERA in 24 relief appearances. The 20-year-old Castro appeared in 13 games as a reliever for the Blue Jays earlier this season before being demoted to Triple A Buffalo in April. Hoffman, who is 22 and was the ninth overall pick of the 2014 draft, was pitching in Double A New Hampshire after undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair a torn elbow ligament last year. Tinoco is a 20-year-old native of Venezuela who was pitching for Class A Lansing in the Midwest League.
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With the trade, Tulowitzki joins a Blue Jays team that leads MLB in runs scored with 528, 78 more than the second-place Yankees, and is first in baseball in runs per game (5.28) and OPS (.772). Toronto is 50–50 and currently in third place in the American League East and three games behind the second wild-card slot. The Rockies are 42–55 and in last place in the NL West.
- Ben Estes
