Today is the day that Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is meeting with his agent to discuss his future and formally asking the team to be traded, as was initially reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
I’ve asked five different people who are close to the Mets and not one believes there’s any chance of Tulowitzki coming to the Mets.
With a huge long-term investment already in David Wright, the team will not consider taking on another $118 million dollar contract for a player on the wrong side of 30 and with such an injury history.
Of course there’s also the cost in top prospects and the Rockies are looking for young blue chip pitching prospects. That’s plural.
Tulowitzki is hitting .303 with 13 doubles, two home runs and a .787 OPS in 30 games played this season for the Rockies.
The Mets are still all-in on Wilmer Flores from what I’m told and what I’ve read from beat reporters.
May 12
The Colorado Rockies have started the year with an unimpressive 11-17 record, and are currently riding a 9-game losing streak. While they have many big names such as the defensive whiz-kid Nolan Arenado, former MVP Justin Morneau, and Gold-Glover Carlos Gonzalez, thus far they have not been able to put wins together.
This is very unsettling to arguably their biggest name, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who his hitting an impressive .307/.317/.495 with 2 home runs and 13 doubles while his team fails to produce around him.
Tulowitzki, who had been the subject of countless trade rumors this past offseason, has never officially requested a trade from team owner Dick Monfort and general manager Jeff Bridich. However, with the Rockies losing a lot, he is allegedly mulling that option.
According to Joel Sherman at the New York Post, he will meet with his agent Paul Cohen this Thursday morning to discuss whether or not it is finally time to request a trade. In a phone interview with The Post, Cohen said, “To say that it is not a possibility would be silly.”
Sherman says the Yankees are going for a more defensive-minded approach moving forward, which explains their offseason acquisition of Didi Gregorious. This also means they are less likely to actively pursue Tulo. However, many teams would be interested in acquiring the All-Star shortstop, such as the Mariners, Padres, and of course, the Mets.
I’m not going to delve into specific possible trade packages, we did that all offseason. However, I will say the overarching idea remains: The Mets need a shortstop and the Rockies need strong, young pitching.
The Rockies and the Mets have matched up well for a trade, however Tulowitzki’s inability to stay healthy is a large red flag. Furthermore, Tulo would be taken away from the hitter-friendly Coors Field, which would undoubtedly curtail his offensive production to a degree.
In his career to date, Tulo has played exactly 494 career games both home and away. Here are his statistics, courtesy of fangraphs.com:
Home: 1845 AB, .322 avg, 595 H (365 1B, 116 2B, 14 3B), 100 HR, 353 R, 353 RBI, 210 BB, 311 K, 28 SB
Away: 1830 AB, .275 avg, 504 H (314 1B, 102 2B, 10 3B), 78 HR, 277 R, 261 RBI, 203 BB, 353 K, 27 SB
There is obviously a drop off with his numbers away from the thin air, however some batters are better in their careers at their home parks regardless of how hitter-friendly they are. While Coors Field is obviously a big help, there’s always a possibility his numbers away from Denver improve if / when he moves.
There are many variables the Mets need to weigh in order choose whether or not to pursue this option. First of all, the Mets will need to give up some good, young prospects because if the Rockies choose to trade Tulowitzki, they will probably enter rebuilding mode and will want young pitchers, like Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero, Steven Matz, Gabriel Ynoa, etc.
Then, of course, there is the glaring financial stress the Mets would endure if they picked up Tulo’s contract, which has 6-years (through 2020) and $118 million remaining. Even if the Wilpons are willing to pay any of that, the Rockies will surely have to help pay some.
Lastly, getting Tulowitzki could represent a decision to not allow their existing prospects within the organization the opportunity to demonstrate they can fill the role, which if they could do so, would represent some great benefits for the organization. After Matt Reynolds had a very impressive spring, he could even be ready to fill the role now, while the Mets currently stick with Wilmer Flores.
After the Mets have started the year hot, do you think they should pursue this option? Should they trade for someone else, or stick with internal options? Comment below, and as always, LET’S GO METS!
