TORONTO -- The Blue Jays acquired All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in a stunning trade with the Rockies early Tuesday morning that will see Jose Reyes and a package of prospects head to Colorado, sources have told MLB.com. The clubs have not confirmed the deal.Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports was the first to break news of the trade, shortly after midnight ET. Thomas Harding of MLB.com confirmed that the Blue Jays also will receive reliever LaTroy Hawkins, while right-handers Jeff Hoffman and Miguel Castro are two of the prospects going to Colorado.
At the time of the trade, Hoffman, the ninth overall pick in the 2014 Draft, was ranked by MLBPipeline.com as Toronto's No. 3 prospect and the No. 69 prospect in the game, while Castro was ranked No. 5 in Toronto's system.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported Tuesday morning that right-hander Jesus Tinoco, who is No. 29 on the Blue Jays' Top 30 Prospects list, will be the third Minor Leaguer in the deal. Heyman also reported that cash considerations will not be included in the trade, which sees Toronto take on a net value of $52 million over the lifetime of the guaranteed deals.Tulowitzki is set to earn $20 million annually through the 2019 season. He's also owed $14 million in 2020 and has a club option for $15 million in 2021. Because he has been traded, Tulowitzki will receive a $2 million bonus, and he may be traded only once during the life of his contract, activating a blanket no-trade clause.In the short term, though, the trade shouldn't have much of an impact on Toronto's payroll. Reyes is set to earn $22 million per season in 2016 and '17, and his contract has a $4 million buyout on a $22 million club option for 2018. Hawkins is earning $2.25 million and has said this will be his final season.The Blue Jays also have a lot of money potentially coming off the books this winter as Mark Buehrle ($19 million in 2015) and R.A. Dickey ($12 million) are in the final year of their guaranted deals. In addition, the club has team-friendly 2016 options on Jose Bautista ($14 million) and Edwin Encarnacion ($10 million).Toronto had been frequently mentioned in the rumor mill over the last couple of weeks, but the expectation was that the club would add starting pitching. The move to acquire Tulowitzki seemed to catch the league by surprise and marked a major shakeup less than four days before Friday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline.Tulowitzki has been an All-Star in each of the last three seasons and finished in the Top 10 in voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award three times, although not since 2011. He is generally regarded as one of the top shortstops in baseball, and when healthy, he has proven to be an elite, franchise type of player.Much like with Reyes, Tulowitzki's problem has been staying healthy. Tulowitzki, who was limited to 91 games in 2014 because of a hip issue, was sidelined for part of the 2013 season with a fractured rib, and he appeared in just 47 games in 2012 because of a groin injury. Tulowitzki's been healthy so far this year, though, and has hit at his typical pace, posting a .305 average and an .831 on-base plus slugging percentage. The 30-year-old, a career .299/.372/.514 hitter, was picked seventh overall by Colorado in the 2005 Draft and has hit 188 career home runs in 10 seasons.Reyes' career in Toronto began with a bang as arguably the biggest piece in a November 2012 blockbuster trade with Miami. He joined the Blue Jays alongside right-hander Josh Johnson and lefty Mark Buehrle, but health issues and a lack of range up the middle ultimately defined his tenure in Toronto.The 32-year-old Reyes dealt with ankle, hamstring, rib and shoulder issues but to his credit managed to appear in 143 games last season despite frequent pain. He remained a threat with the bat, but there were mobility concerns and he has made 13 errors at shortstop so far this season, sparking a debate that loomed large over the organization.Hawkins will help address some of the Blue Jays' issues late in games. He has a 3.63 ERA in 22 1/3 innings with a pair of saves after closing 23 and 13 games in 2014 and '13, respectively. The 42-year-old will provide a veteran presence to an otherwise inexperienced back end of the bullpen that features rookies Roberto Osuna and Aaron Sanchez.The decision to move Hoffman could not have been an easy one for general manager Alex Anthopoulos. Toronto caught a break in 2014, when the right-hander fell to the ninth pick because of a right elbow injury. He has since undergone Tommy John surgery and made a full recovery.Hoffman possesses an overpowering fastball with plus secondary pitches that have led to a 2.93 ERA in 67 2/3 innings this season. He's expected to make a quick rise through the Minors and could be ready for a big league assignment at some point in 2016.Castro is a familiar name to Blue Jays fans, having spent time as the closer before struggling and being optioned to the Minors. He has experienced some issues keeping the ball down in the zone with Triple-A Buffalo, where he has posted a 4.34 ERA. The right-hander's ability to consistently hit 98-99 mph on the radar gun gives him the ability to be an enticing power reliever.
Gregor Chisholm/ MLB.com
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