JAYS LAND SS TULOWITZKI IN BLOCKBUSTER
The Toronto Blue Jays acquired shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and pitcher LaTroy Hawkins from the Colorado Rockies for shortstop Jose Reyes, plus pitchers Miguel Castro, Jeff Hoffman and Jesus Tinoco.
What does it give the Toronto Blue Jays
Wow! This is a huge deal for Toronto. In Tulowitzki, they land one of the top shortstops in MLB, if not the very best. He'll provide far more power at the plate and greater range defensively than the departing Reyes (a disappointment during his tenure in Toronto). 'Tulo' also boasts arguably the best shortstop arm in the game. Hawkins is likely playing his final days as a big-league pitcher, so at least he can do so as part of a contending team. He'll battle for saves in Toronto down the stretch.
What does it give the Colorado Rockies
The key for Colorado here is adding pitching prospects such as Castro, Hoffman and Tinoco to the fold. Castro began 2015 in Toronto's bullpen but wasn't deemed ready for the big-league challenge. He might be the Rockies' closer of the future now but can also be a factor in the rotation. Hoffman has pretty good upside and might make it to Denver before the end of '15, while Tinoco is a 20-year-old right-hander with good promise. As for Reyes, he temporarily replaces Tulowitzki in Colorado but is expected to be dealt again before the end of the season.
Fantasy impact
Tulowitzki benefitted from playing at Coors Field, but the move to Toronto shouldn't hurt his fantasy value much. That said, his durability may now be in even greater jeopardy moving to an artificial surface in Toronto. That's a small concern for Tulo owners at this point. Castro could move quickly into a prominent role in Colorado's bullpen (if he isn't tried again as a starter), while Hoffman may also be on the fast track. Tinoco is a name to stash away for future use, while Hawkins might scrape together a few more saves in Toronto before calling it a career.
