After meeting with his agent today, Rockies star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has decided that he will not ask to be traded away from his struggling club. Tulowitzki told reporters, including MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, that “whatever happens on the Rockies’ end happens, but for me to sit here and try to force my way out of here, that’s not the case. I don’t think it’s fair to my teammates and the relationships I’ve built here to take that route.”
Tulowitzki has long been a key figure in trade rumors given how the Rockies are coming off four losing seasons and are currently in last place in the NL West with an 11-19 record. His meeting with agent Paul Cohen was therefore seen a significant step towards a possible departure from Colorado, though Tulowitzki noted that he didn’t tell Cohen to inform the New York Post about his dissatisfaction with the team’s lack of success. “If I have an issue I would take care of it myself. The last [thing] I would try to do is leak something and get it out there,” Tulowitzki said. “The Rockies’ ownership and myself have always been close, so there’s no reason to try to leak something. I’d go straight to them.”
Rather than ask for a deal, Tulowitzki put an onus on himself to perform better to help the team win. Tulowitzki is hitting .303/.310/.477 over 113 plate appearances this season and while his injury problems have certainly been a factor in the Rockies’ poor records, it’s hard to point the finger at the shortstop given that when he has been healthy, he’s been one of the better performers in the game.
It could be argued that even if Tulowitzki doesn’t officially ask to be dealt, the fact that he even considered doing so essentially acts as the same thing; in my opinion, it certainly doesn’t sound like Tulowitzki would disregard any trade that would send him to a contender. In not demanding a deal, Tulowitzki could actually pave a clearer road to a trade since it allows the Rockies to keep a bit of negotiating leverage with other teams.
Tulowitzki has approximately $109MM in guaranteed salary remaining on his contract through the 2020 season, plus a $4MM buyout of his $15MM club option for 2021 and an extra $2MM assignment bonus if he’s traded during the course of the deal. It’s a hefty price tag for a 30-year-old player with a significant injury history, though Tulowitzki has thus far been healthy in 2015, playing in all 30 of Colorado’s games.
I bet if the Mets had won 4 from the Cubs,instead of spitting the bit& getting swept- he would have asked for a trade—
Yes, I’m sure him deciding where he wants to play for the next 6 years revolves around the Mets.
Tulowitzki is a honourable man. Gotta have respect for him not requesting a trade. I’d say most would have in his situation.
a truly honorable man wouldn’t have had to have a meeting with his agent to discuss it.
Players aren’t allowed to discuss personal matters with their agents? For a guy like Tulo, who has had to play on a mediocre team for the majority of his career, it can be a really tough and frustrating decision to decide whether to request a trade or not. I’m sure he would have no problems being traded, but at least he is honouring his contract and not forcing the Rockies to be pressured into making a trade.
It was either a reporter misquote or a slip that his agent revealed so much to the NY Post. There really was nothing to gain by that.
Well revealing that the conversation was going to take place was basically a way of asking for a trade without asking. I think at this point it’s pretty obvious that he would he would be happy to be traded,, but he’s just not going to force the issue yet.
It takes the pressure off the Rockies if they do end up dealing him. His desire is in the public domain. Fan base might still bash the organization, but it won’t be a shock. I suppose there are many fans that don’t follow the day to day type news and would find out when the trade happened. It might keep them away I suppose.
players are allowed to talk to their agents. they are also allowed to keep those discussions between themselves. my complaint was not about the discussion but about calling the discussion honorable.
If they lose another game then that’s 12 straight and if that happens tulo will leave because he wants to win and the padres are a winning squad so the Rockies need to trade him to san Diego when this losing streak goes to 12
He won’t be going to San Diego. They don’t have the prospects to get it done, and I’m not sure the Rockies would trade their superstar SS within the division. Also, I’m not sure if San Diego has the extra budget room, though they may.
The Rockies need to trade Tulo to San Diego? That’s an…uh…interesting take on their needs.
LOL not asking for a trade publicly is asking for a trade.;)
Very respectable approach by the guy to stand by his team, it’s refreshing to see. Still I wonder what, if any, impact it will have that it was put out there that he even was mulling the request.
He doesn’t have to, the headline that he was discussing it was enough for the Rox to get the message.
Get the message that it doesn’t matter what he wants? He signed his contract, he’ll play for the Rockies until they decide he won’t…..or 2021 when he can choose whatever team he’d like to play for.
Nice of him to say but I bet he’d waive any no-trade protection he has in a heartbeat if it meant going to a contender.
He doesn’t have any no-trade protection unless he gets traded. 10-5 rights don’t kick in until the end of this season.
He doesn’t get 10-5 rights for 2 more years. Hes only at 8 years of service time.
He doesn’t have no trade protection… But I’m guessing if he caused much of a stir about his destination it would spook off the other team. A contender is one thing, but even Seattle might be sketchy for him.
If Seattle is a sketchy contender, I don’t know whats hes expecting. They are the best team (on paper) in the AL.
At the beginning of the season, I thought they were the best team in the AL however, I think their rotation isn’t as good as we expected. I still predict them to win the West, but I think the Royals or Tigers have to at least deserve much more consideration for best team in the AL than previously thought.
Keep watching the M’s….they are what a winner looks like. But anything can happen..and I’ll give you the Royals and Tigers are very good…Royals are a very solid team
Outside Volquez, no Royals starter has an ERA under 5, thats a bit concerning to me. The Tigers have issues. I’l give you them. They are atleast in the conversation
What’s that say though? They are winning and the starters have likely unsustainably high ERAs. Outside of their starters… They can basically run the equivalent of Clayton Kershaw out to the hill when they have a lead for 1/3 of the game. No team is flawless. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a totally dominant team….there were some turn of this century Yanks and.Mariners teams that were close.
My Red Sox get to play them for a 4 game series starting tonight, but unfortunately I won’t get to see much of it. Where I live, the time zone is just too late to catch much of the game. It sucks, but oh well.
Yeah…it’s a 9pm start here. I’ll tune in later and maybe replay it and skip inning breaks if I don’t make it all. Good broadcast team in Seattle. I like the 9pm starts just because my kids are in bed and I can relax…like watching the M’s
Watching Kelly throw against the M’s. He oddly reminds me of the young Bronson Arroyo. He has more juice. Man..for a guy that is leading mlb in average velocity, he sure puts the ball in play a lot. He’s been like 83% fastball through the first couple lineup trips, then he’s a lot of junk. Lots of bad location.
Yeah, his command can be bad at times. He throws hard, but he has never gotten a ton of swing and misses, though he is capable of doing so at times. He has great stuff, but his issues are very similar to Eovaldi on the Yankees, except he doesn’t walk as many as Kelly.
Oh…I watch them and agree! They played slow pitch softball with the Padres pitching Tuesday evening. Dave Cameron speculated the same thing. What does contender mean to Tulo?
I like the fact that he took ownership for the team playing bad and saying he has to play better.
“though Tulowitzki has thus far yet to miss a game for the Rockies this season.”
Well, that would be a problem for a guy who has a long injury history, would it not?
That’s incorrect. He has missed a couple games for planned rest. Just not for an injury.
If I was in his position, I would ask for a trade. He’s given them nearly ten years to compete with him there and they have made the playoffs what 2 years during his time there? They are horrible right now, him being 30 and his health problems who knows how many years he has left. Id want to play for a contender and try to get a ring. I also think it’d be the right move for the Rockies as an organization. They would have to eat salary but they can get some top tier prospects back. Trade Cargo as well.
That’s a logical scenario…but it’s just as logical that they bust out some of the prospects and go after a Cole Hamels type to front Gray and Butler.
Dude signed a 10 year extension. Doesn’t get to demand a trade.
The window to trade CarGo and actually get any value for him, is gone. He was bad last year, and he’s absolutely awful this year.
I’m not sure if his agent was misquoted or misspoke in the NY Post interview, but that created a bit more of a hullabaloo than necessary. I don’t trust reporters to quote accurately, so who knows.
Clear the Rockies need to take some direction. They either play healthy and bolster the rotation… Or they move people and move on.
rockies should trade all the veteran players and start over. their fans feel so hopeless.
If nothing this was a decent “black flag” moment to at least allow some pressure off the Rockies in the event they deal him in the next several months. The fan base knows it might be coming.
come on man, there comes a time when you gotta do you, you’ve given them enough of your talent and time, if they felt the same as you they would build a team around you, instead they live off your name…
That contract he signed of his own free will says “hi.”