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MLB Trade Deadline: Winners and Losers of the Troy Tulowitzk trade

By Kyle Franzoni

Jun 28, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2) makes a play to first to end the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 28, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2) makes a play to first to end the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 21, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi (right) and generial manager Brian Cashman during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi (right) and generial manager Brian Cashman during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser – Toronto Blue Jays

Alright, so how can a team be a winner and a loser? In the Blue Jays’ case, it is simple.

Toronto came into this market looking to add a front-line starter to a rotation that ranked 24th in starter ERA heading into play on Tuesday. Tulowitzki obviously doesn’t help that cause outside of improving the defense at shortstop for the Blue Jays.

Additionally, by flipping Hoffman and Castro to the Rockies for Tulowitzki, the Blue Jays spent two of their biggest trade chips and did so for a commodity they didn’t need; offense. Engaged in talks with the San Diego Padres for Tyson Ross and the Cleveland Indians for Carlos Carrasco, the Blue Jays have cast their net in the direction of controllable arms for the future. Hoffman would have been a big part of any trade for those arms and Toronto may have cost themselves a chance at landing anything more than a rental, not to mention they delved deeper into a system that is getting particularly shallow.

Unless this move is the first of a few, this move may signal the team’s desire to simply try and beat teams offensively and hope their pitching can keep them in games.

Loser – New York Yankees

After watching their Didi Gregorius experiment fail miserably, the Yankees have been one of the most rumored teams in the trade market for a shortstop upgrade. Additionally, they’ve been one of the teams most mentioned as a potential landing spot for Tulowitzki.

In watching the Blue Jays land him, the market for shortstops dips further for the Yankees, forcing them to look at pieces that may cost them more in prospects (i.e. Jean Segura). Additionally, they watched Tulowitzki go to a division rival, one that is directly behind them in the standings. No, the Yankees wouldn’t be prepared to part with a prospect package headlined by someone along Jeff Hoffman’s caliber, but this feels like a deal they could have gotten done.

Loser – Jeff Hoffman

Hoffman already had to deal with falling from a top-3 pick in the 2014 draft to landing at #9 and Toronto may not have been his ideal choice as to potential employers, but he had made the best of the situation and had shown exactly why the team took the risk on his despite coming off of Tommy John surgery.

Now he’s been banished to baseball purgatory.

Colorado is where pitchers go to die and Hoffman has a tremendous uphill battle in becoming the ace many envision of him in the thin air of the Rocky Mountains. He does generate ground balls, so that may help him long-term, but the history of the prospects that have preceded him doesn’t necessarily tell a heart-warming tale either.

Loser – Troy Tulowitzki

Troy Tulowitzki is arguably going to a very good situation in Toronto where he has the chance to be in the playoff push and help a team win. However, things are not all sunshine and daisies for the new Blue Jays shortstop either.

First and foremost, the taxes are going to take a bite out of his available income. Ontario has a taxable percentage of 13.16% compared to the 4.63% state income tax rate in Colorado. Tulowitzki stands to lose significant money over the course of the deal he signed while in Colorado.

However, that may pale in comparison to the rigors his body will have to endure in Toronto. Already dealing with various injuries over the course of his career, Tulowitzki will now have to figure out how to stay on the field while playing half his games on the turf in Toronto. Much has been made over the years about the condition of the surface in Toronto and the team will replace it with real grass in 2018.

That means he has to manage to stay healthy for two seasons before getting a natural surface to play on. That may be a tough task for a player that has managed to play 120+ games just six times in a 9-year career.

Next: MLB's untouchable prospects at the trade deadline

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