Blue Jays acquired Troy Tulowitzki in blockbuster trade

The Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies strike a big trade with Troy Tulowitzki going to Toronto in exchange for Jose Reyes and prospects.

The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the most enigmatic teams heading into the 2015 MLB Trade Deadline. With a new team president coming in 2016 and the fate of general manager Alex Anthopoulos likely depending on the team ending their 21-year playoff drought, everyone knew the Blue Jays had to do something big. Starting pitching was heavily on the menu and Toronto was viewed as active in nearly every market.

Then Anthopoulos went rogue and pulled the carpet out from under everyone…again.

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While the media was focuses on Toronto’s pitching needs, Anthopoulos moved toward improving the team beyond 2015, striking a shocking trade with the Colorado Rockies for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins. In return, Toronto will send shortstop Jose Reyes and pitching prospects Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro, and Jesus Tinoco to Colorado. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports was the first to break the news of the monster deal, first about Tulowitzki and then the inclusion of Reyes and the prospects involved.

At it’s heart, the deal serves two purposes for Toronto. It gives the Blue Jays an upgrade at shortstop while also adding a proven reliever to a bullpen that has juggled pieces all season.

Now 30-years-old, Tulowitzki is a career .299/.371/.513 hitter with an average of 21 home runs and 72 RBI since becoming Colorado’s full-time shortstop in 2007. A five-time All-Star, Tulowitzki is a bit down this season, both in hitting (.300/.348/.471 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI) and fielding (-7.7 UZR 150), but the Blue Jays still view him as an upgrade in both departments.

In Hawkins, Toronto lands a reliever that saved 23 games in 2014, but has been used primarily in a set-up capacity this season. In 24 games, Hawkins is 2-1 with two saves, a 3.63 ERA, a 3.56 FIP, and a 5.00 K/BB ratio. He’ll likely take the place of Ryan Tepera in the bullpen and deepens the set-up crew around rookie closer Roberto Osuna.

In return, the Rockies find themselves with a capable shortstop in Jose Reyes as well as some solid pitching prospects to inject into a system that hasn’t produced much for them over the years.

Reyes (32) has been hitting .285/.322/.385 with 36 runs scored, 34 RBI, and 16 stolen bases as the Blue Jays lead-off hitter in 2015. However, the true prize of this trade is a pair of pitchers in Jeff Hoffman and Miguel Castro, both of whom have high ceilings and are close to Major League ready talent.

Hoffman was Toronto’s first round pick in 2014 and ranked as the team’s #3 prospect according to Baseball America heading into the season. After Tommy John surgery cost him his first professional season, he’s been fantastic since being activated in May. In 13 games between High-A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire, Hoffman is 3-3 with a 2.93 ERA and a 6.1 K/9 ratio. Featuring a plus fastball, curve, and change, and having the feel to throw any of those for strikes, he’s seen as a front of the rotation starter as early as 2016 and will instantly become Colorado’s #1 prospect after the trade.

Castro was the Blue Jays #5 prospect heading into the season. At 20-years-old and having never pitched above Single-A, Castro won a job in the Blue Jays bullpen out of spring training and made 13 appearances for Toronto before being sent down for more seasoning. In those early appearances, he racked up 4 saves against a 4.38 ERA and an 8.8 K/9 ratio. He features a high-90’s fastball that ranks as a 70 on 80 scale. Castro compliments it with a change-up and a slider, both of which are works in progress, but the change-up is further along and has the chance to be a plus pitch down the road. He has the stuff to be a dominant reliever down the road, but there is a chance he could still find his way into the middle of the rotation if his off-speed pitches and control develop further.

This is a win-win deal for both teams, although it certainly begs the some questions on Toronto’s part and whether it foretells other moves still to come. This is definitely an all-in move for the Blue Jays and a much needed rebuild move for the Rockies.

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