This is a sentence I can’t believe I’m typing – the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for shortstop Jose Reyes, minor league pitchers Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro and Jesús Tinoco.
The Blue Jays lineup, somehow, just got even more potent. Tulowitzki will enter the highest scoring offense in the league which already includes Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion – that’s comparable to an All-Star lineup. The Blue Jays may legitimately score eight runs a night. Pitchers aren’t going to catch any breaks.
While Reyes is no slouch, Tulowitzki represents an immediate upgrade on a position that was already a plus for the club. The shortstop is the midst of a healthy season where he’s hit 12 home runs, drove in 53 and has a .300 AVG paired with a .348 OBP. The solid numbers are backed up by the fact Tulowitzki is among the best in hard hit% as noted by Andrew Stoeten. Tulowitzki should not suffer a disadvantage leaving Coors Field, as he’s going to an equally friendly hitting park at the Rogers Center. Defensively, the two-time Gold Glove winner is also an upgrade over Reyes, who’s struggled in the field this season.
Now the frugal Blue Jays are taking on extra money, as Tulowitzki’s contract is set to expire in 2020 (there’s also a club option for 2021) while Reyes’ was set to end in 2017. That’s not a small deal. The club is hoping the shortstop doesn’t decline in the immediate future and are making the financial gamble that doesn’t happen. While the Blue Jays add money in the future, the move doesn’t change the Blue Jays current financial situation and should allow the club to still pursue a starting pitcher, which they desperately need.
The other part of this trade for the Blue Jays is acquiring a competent reliever in LaTroy Hawkins. The 42-year-old has been decent for the Rockies posting a 3.63 ERA with a 3.56 FIP and 8.1 K/9 with a low 1.6 BB/9. While he’s not going to save the Blue Jays struggling bullpen, he’s a nice addition who should help.
While the Blue Jays are the winners of this trade on paper, the Rockies return is solid. Reyes is an above average shortstop, who may not be worth his high contract now, but he’s still very good. The Rockies are in full rebuild mode and are likely to flip him for more prospects.
They key piece for Colorado is Jeff Hoffman, the 9th overall pick in 2014. He was a risky pick due to being in the midst of recovering from Tommy John surgery when he was selected, but his stuff was so good he was still a top-10 pick. The 22-year-old was one of the Blue Jays best prospects. His early returns have been promising, as he had been quickly promoted through the Blue Jays organization, even making two starts in AA. In 13 starts between A+/AA he’s posted a 2.93 ERA with a 6.1 K/9 and a 2.3 BB/9.
Castro is another solid prospect. It’s hard to believe now, but at one time he was the Blue Jays closer this season before control issues got him sent to the minors. The 20-year-old is still very young, but said control problems have followed him into Triple-A. In 13 appearances, he’s posted a 4.58 ERA, with a 1.932 WHIP and a 5.5 BB/9. He’s still young enough that those issues can be resolved. His long-term trajectory is probably as a reliever. Tinoco is a 20-year-old who hasn’t pitched about A, and I don’t know much about him other than he’s posted a 4-25 record with a 4.37 ERA. He’s likely a young project from the Rockies.
I can see where both teams were going with this trade, although it’s still shocking to me the Rockies won’t have Troy Tulowitzki in their lineup for the first time in over a decade. The Blue Jays offense becomes better and the Rockies finally rebuild by acquiring two good young pieces, and a shortstop who can bring in more. Let trade season commence.
