So the Blue Jays are just going to try and mash their way to the playoffs. They really need some arms.
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How long will Reyes be in Colorado? Lots of speculation on him being flipped somewhere. Could open the door for Story if they can move Reyes.Comment -
Longtime Rockies All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays along with LaTroy Hawkins, confirms CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. There's no word on the full return yet, but Jose Reyes is part of what is going back to Colorado along with reliever Miguel Castro. Two more prospects are headed to the Rockies as well.
Heyman confirms that the Rockies got prized pitching prospect Jeff Hoffman and was first to report the Rockies received Class A pitcher Jesus Tinoco, a 6-4, right-hander from Venezuela. Tulowitzki will get a $2 million assignment bonus and now has a full no-trade clause in his contract.
According to Heyman, Tulowitzki was a bit surprised to be traded to the Blue Jays as he wanted to go to the Dodgers, Giants (his hometown team) or the Yankees. Heyman spoke to someone close to Tulowitzki who said he seemed, "a little bit shocked."
Tulowitzki, 30, was drafted by the Rockies in the first round, seventh overall, in 2005 and has spent his entire professional career with the franchise. He's a five-time All-Star and twice finished fifth in NL MVP voting. To say he's a Rockies franchise icon is an understatement.
This season, Tulowitzki is hitting .300/.348/.471 with 19 doubles, 12 homers and 53 RBI.
The Blue Jays have the top offense in baseball by a significant margin when it comes to runs scored, but they have had pitching issues. The move for Tulowitzki makes their offense even better than before.
Tulowitzki has long been discussed as a possible trade candidate for the seemingly perpetually rebuilding Rockies, but ownership has long held tightly to their franchise centerpiece. It looks like now they are ready to turn the reins over to All-Star third basemanNolan Arenado.
Reyes, 32, is hitting .285/.322/.385 with 17 doubles, four homers, 16 steals and 36 runs this season. He, like Tulo, has had durability issues for the past several years.
Hawkins, 42, has a 3.63 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 20 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings this season. The Blue Jays would be his 11th team in 21 big-league seasons. He provides bullpen depth for the Jays, but it's doubtful he can be a very effective closer or setup man in the AL at this point in his career.
Castro, 20, is a 6-foot-5 right-hander and was the Jays closer for a short stint earlier this season before his struggles led to a trip back to the minors. In 13 outings in the bigs, Castro had a 4.38 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. In the minors, he has a 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 27 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings. So he's maintained the high strikeout rate while allowing far too many baserunners wherever he's been.
Hoffman, 22, was the Blue Jays' first-round pick in 2014 out of East Carolina University. He would have gone higher, but he had Tommy John surgery. In his return this season, he's 3-3 with a 2.93 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 46 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings between High-A (11 starts) and Double-A (two starts).
There is no money changing hands, per Heyman, so the Jays will owe Tulowitzki $94 million over the course of the next five seasons with a $15 million club option for 2021. Meantime -- if they don't flip him, which seems unlikely -- the Rockies owe Jose Reyes $44 million in 2016-17 with a $22 million club option for 2018.Comment -
Angels stockpiling scrub OFs .Comment -
It's going to be very strange seeing Tulo in a Blue Jays uniform!
However, I like all of the moving and shaking that's going on around the league...Comment -
The New York Yankees are absolutely rolling now and they're up by a comfortable 7 games in the AL East...
Not only did they put up 21 tonight on Texas, but it could have been a lot worse. They left 12 men on base!
Ellsbury CF 5 2 1 1 0 2 25 .290 .358 .364 Gardner LF 4 5 3 3 3 1 37 .297 .379 .471 Rodriguez DH 4 2 2 1 3 1 34 .279 .379 .545 Teixeira 1B 3 1 0 0 1 1 23 .257 .362 .541 Jones PR-1B 2 1 0 0 0 1 5 .221 .264 .371 Young RF 6 4 3 5 1 1 23 .263 .315 .491 Headley 3B 4 2 2 2 1 1 19 .271 .322 .395 Drew 2B 2 0 0 0 0 0 9 .187 .261 .377 Murphy C 5 1 2 2 1 2 28 .278 .316 .378 Gregorius SS 5 2 4 3 0 0 17 .257 .307 .354 Ryan 2B-3B 6 1 2 3 0 1 24 .276 .323 .517 BATTING
2B: Young 2 (17, Pérez, Patton); Ryan 2 (3, Pérez, Rodríguez); Rodriguez (14, Pérez)
3B: Gregorius (1, Rodríguez)
HR: Young (12, 3rd inning off Rodríguez 3 on, 0 Out); Gardner (11, 9th inning off Rosales 1 on, 0 Out)
RBI: Headley 2 (41), Ryan 3 (6), Ellsbury (16), Gardner 3 (46), Rodriguez (60), Gregorius 3 (28), Young 5 (33), Murphy 2 (10)
2-out RBI: Gregorius 3, Ryan, Murphy 2
GIDP: Murphy
Yankees RISP: 11-21 (Teixeira 0-2, Gregorius 1-1, Jones 0-1, Young 2-4, Gardner 1-1, Rodriguez 1-1, Murphy 1-2, Headley 2-4, Ellsbury 1-2, Ryan 2-3)
Team LOB: 12Comment -
Carlos Gonzalez on trade block following Troy Tulowitzki deal
Monday's two-homer game notwithstanding, Gonzalez still has the same massive home/road split issues as always even during this bounceback, so caveat emptor. The irony is, though the Rockies would surely likely to get out from his contract, his recent return to form might mean their asking price is too high for anyone to reasonably match. He can still be a very good player in any context, but Gonzalez is no longer a big plus on the basepaths or in the outfield, so his bat really has to play up; for a career .258/.313/.440 hitter away from Coors still owed $37 million over the next two seasons, that might be too much to ask.
Fantasy spin: Any move away from Coors probably knocks him out of the top-50 among outfielders, so cross your fingers that Gonzalez stays put.
Astros talking Ross, Cashner, Kimbrel, but could they turn to Hamels?
Remember that Sports Illustrated cover from last year that declared the Astros "your 2017 World Series champs?" Oh, we laughed and laughed and laughed… Because we knew they would end up two years late on their prediction, right? The Astros already added Scott Kazmir to a rotation headlined by Dallas Keuchel, so Cole Hamels would give them three of the better southpaws in the league. If they could just avoid the Blue Jays in the playoffs, that would be a very formidable trio. Of course, Hamels was reportedly not interested in waiving his no-trade clause to pitch in Houston, in which case, Padres pitching Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross would be more realistic options.
Fantasy spin: The Phillies and Padres are dumpster fires with inept offenses and defenses, so any of the three starters mentioned would certainly benefit from a move to Houston.
Kimbrel comes up in Yanks' talks with Padres; chances for deal unknown
Professional sports have always had a "follow the leader" aspect to them, so why not try to emulate both World Series participants from last season and put together an absolutely dominant bullpen heading into the playoffs? The Yankees' interest could be the result of their unwillingness to part with top prospects Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Greg Bird orJorge Mateo, since Kimbrel could come at a cheaper price than a top-end starting pitcher. Adding an ace reliever could also allow the Yankees the flexibility to move Adam Warrenback into the rotation, where he has a 3.59 ERA in 14 starts this season.
Fantasy spin: The Phillies and Padres are dumpster fires with inept offenses and defenses, so any of the three starters mentioned would certainly benefit from a move to Houston.
Blue Jays have at least these 8 starters on trade wishlist; is it enough?
The immediate question that came up after the Jays traded for Tulowitzki was, "What about pitching?" This team already has a killer offense, but their rotation and bullpen are both a mess, so their interest in a number of pitchers makes sense. Heyman names Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake, Mat Latos, Dan Haren, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Fiers, Cashner and Ross as specific targets, though every name on that list is obviously not made equal. They looked into both Hamels and Johnny Cueto, but Cueto is already off the market and Hamels reportedly would not approve a trade to Toronto. Carrasco is probably the highest upside pitcher among the bunch, though a package deal with the Marlins for Haren (3.51 ERA) and Latos (1.80 ERA in July) could allow them to fill multiple holes in the rotation.
Fantasy spin: Any pitcher who moves from the basement to the Blue Jays is going to get plenty of support, though Rogers is a tough park with huge home run tendencies, so let's hope they aim for a groundball pitcher. Ross could be excellent in Toronto.Comment -
Atlanta Braves rookie starting pitcher Manny Banuelos is rumored to be headed to the DL with left elbow inflammation, reports Braves beat writer Mark Bowman via twitter.
The 24-year-old was scheduled to start against the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday, but Bowman's tweet mentions that it could be Mike Foltynewicz that gets the ball.Comment -
Looks like the Mets got Carlos Gomez for Zack Wheeler and Wilmer FloresComment -
Or not.
Adam Rubin @AdamRubinESPN 39s39 seconds ago
Whoa! Sandy Alderson says trade trade "has not and will not transpire." ... That sounds definitive no.Comment -
was a pretty crazy night.Comment -
what a month of july for Jung Ho KangComment -
Troy Tulowitzki had 3 RBI and 3 runs in his debut with the Blue Jays...
Jose Reyes never had a 3 RBI, 3-run game in 305 games with Blue Jays.Comment -
David Price to the Jays, I love that they are going all-in this season.Comment -
Jays are really loading up to make a big run.Comment -
So now we get to see the phillies tank even harderComment -
Please do not take Wheeler. I like him, but we are rehabbing Homer too.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Mets are attempting to acquire Jay Bruce from the Reds.
The Reds reportedly have interest in Zack Wheeler, though there would likely have to be other pieces involved to make a deal work. The Mets remain in the market for an outfielder and are also believed to have varying levels of interest in Gerardo Parra, Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes and Will Venable.Comment -
norris is too carefree to ever be a great pitcher.Comment -
Whose medical called off the Mets/Brewers deal for Gomez?Comment -
I heard Greinke pitching tonightComment -
Brandon Phillips had quite a night on Thursday.
He became the first player in MLB history with 4 H, 2 HR's, 7 RBI's & 2 SB in a game since RBI's became an official stat back in 1920.
By the way, the Reds crushed the Pirates, 15-5.
Phillips 2B
5 2 4 7 0 0 24 .278 .314 .374 Mattheus P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 b-Bourgeois PH 0 0 0 1 1 0 6 .194 .219 .194 Sampson P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 Villarreal P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 De Jesús 3B 5 2 3 0 1 0 31 .282 .358 .435 Votto 1B 4 3 3 0 2 0 29 .313 .432 .539 Byrd LF 6 1 3 3 0 2 33 .245 .296 .466 Bruce RF 4 1 1 3 0 0 19 .257 .341 .486 Suárez SS 5 0 1 0 1 3 25 .301 .338 .452 Barnhart C 5 1 0 0 0 0 20 .256 .336 .355 Holmberg P 3 1 1 0 0 1 10 .333 .333 .333 a-Schumaker PH-2B 1 1 1 0 1 0 7 .222 .309 .304 Hamilton CF 5 3 2 1 0 0 12 .228 .271 .291 a-singled to right for D Holmberg in the 6th
b-walked for R Mattheus in the 7thBATTING
2B: Votto (20, Burnett); Bruce (23, Guerra); Byrd (10, Decker)
HR: Byrd (17, 1st inning off Burnett 2 on, 1 Out); Phillips 2 (7, 5th inning off Guerra 2 on, 1 Out; 6th inning off Guerra 2 on, 1 Out)
RBI: Byrd 3 (37), Bruce 3 (59), Phillips 7 (39), Hamilton (24), Bourgeois (3)
SF: Bruce
2-out RBI: Bruce 2, Bourgeois
Reds RISP: 6-18 (Bruce 1-3, Phillips 3-3, De Jesús 0-1, Barnhart 0-2, Hamilton 0-2, Suárez 0-2, Byrd 2-5)
Team LOB: 13BASERUNNING
SB: Hamilton 2 (49, 3rd base off Burnett/Cervelli, 2nd base off Burnett/Cervelli); Phillips 2 (13, 3rd base off Burnett/Cervelli, 2nd base off Burnett/Cervelli)FIELDING
DP: 1 (Suárez-Phillips-Votto).Comment -
Apparently, the Blue Jays are going all in this year. I understand they also acquired Ben Revere from the Phillies.
If you're a fan, do you like what the organization is doing or are they putting all their eggs in one basket this year?Comment -
Toronto is 6 GB in the AL East and 2 GB in the AL Wildcard Race.
Even with all this movement, I honestly don't see them making the postseason this year...
Regardless, this is going to be an awesome last two months of the season!
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MLB RBI Leaders:
1. 
Arenado, N COL 78 2. 
Goldschmidt, P ARI 77 3. 
Donaldson, J TOR 73 4. 
Morales, K KC 72 5. 
Davis, C BAL 70 Comment -
Yankees starting pitcher prospect Luis Severino will make his next start in the major leagues, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters Friday.
The 21-year-old Severino and top-100 prospect has been outstanding since his promotion to Triple-A. He is 7-0 with a 1.91 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 11 starts at Triple-A. For the season, he is 9-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 19 starts (eight starts at Double-A).
The right-hander is 23-11 with a 2.30 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in four minor-league seasons. He is striking out 9.1 batters and walking 2.3 batters per nine innings.Comment -
I'm a Mets fan, Glad they picked up Cespedes, Uribe and Johnson (even though I don't like Johnson, he still improves the starting lineup).Comment
