Troy Tulowitzki is headed to Canada. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was a huge acquisition for the Blue Jays, but Toronto isn’t bowing out of the arms race before Friday’s non-waiver deadline.
After acquiring Tulowitzki early Tuesday morning in a five-player deal with the Colorado Rockies, the Blue Jays are setting their sights on starting pitching.
Multiple outlets reported Tuesday a primary target was Chicago White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija.
The Blue Jays, who pasted their new shortstop’s photo on the team’s official Twitter feed on Tuesday, landed Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins in exchange for shortstop Jose Reyes and minor league prospects. Right-handed pitcher Jeff Hoffman, Toronto’s first-round pick in 2014, was the key to the deal for the Rockies. Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco, both right-handed pitchers, also head to Colorado.
Tulowitzki was told of the trade in the bottom of the ninth inning of Monday’s game when teary-eyed manager Walt Weiss informed his shortstop he was headed to Toronto.
Tulowitzki, 30, is in the fifth year of a 10-year, $157.75 million contract. He is making $20 million this year, the same amount he is owed each year through 2019. Tulowitzki will receive $14 million in 2020, and the deal includes a $14 million club option for 2021 or a $4 million buyout.
The contract also includes a clause that guarantees a $2 million bonus if he gets traded and automatically activates a no-trade clause. Tulowitzki’s contract stipulates he can be traded once during the lifetime of the deal.
Reyes is in season four of a six-year, $106 million contract. He is making $22 million per year through 2017, with a $22 million club option or $4 million buyout for 2018.
Tulowitzki was batting .341 from May 29 through Sunday — tied for fourth best in the majors over that span — but he has gone 20 consecutive at-bats without a hit, including an 0-for-5 night Monday in the Rockies’ 9-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
In 87 games this season, Tulowitzki is batting .300 with a .348 on-base percentage, a .471 slugging percentage, 12 homers and 53 RBIs. He is a five-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove winner and a two-time Silver Slugger winner since breaking in with the Rockies in 2006.
His career hitting line is .299/.371/.513 with 188 homers and 657 RBIs in 1,048 games.
Tulowitzki will provide a shortstop upgrade for the Blue Jays (50-50). Toronto is tied with the Baltimore Orioles for second in the American League East, seven games behind the New York Yankees, but the Blue Jays are only three games behind the Minnesota Twins in the race for the second AL wild card.
Reyes remains an offensive contributor, but his defense has eroded in recent seasons. He is batting .285/.322/.385 with four homers, 34 RBIs and 16 stolen bases this year.
In a 13-year career that included stints with the New York Mets and Miami Marlins, Reyes has a career .291/.340/.433 batting line with 115 homers, 602 RBIs and 471 steals in 1,515 games.
Hawkins, 42, began the season as the Rockies’ closer but lost that job after blowing consecutive save opportunities in April. He is 2-1 with two saves and a 3.63 ERA this year, his 21st in the majors.
Toronto will be the 11th franchise in a career that has seen him compile a 74-94 record, 126 saves and a 4.32 ERA in 1,024 appearances, including 98 starts.
He is the active leader in games pitched and is the oldest active player in the majors.
