Bye, Tulo...
A quick take on the not-so-surprisng news that the Blue Jays have released Troy Tulowitzki.
GM Ross Atkins said earlier that he felt Tulo would have to overachieve to become an above-average SS and he didn't think that was likely, given that he missed the entire 2018 season with heel injury and that he is already 34. The writing was on the wall, I guess.
1. I vividly remember the moment I found about Tulo's trade to Toronto in July 2015. I was flying to Malaysia to cover an IOC Session and landed there late afternoon. I didn't get online until I boarded a train to my hotel and got wi-fi connection.
My immediate reaction was, "Oh my god! Tulo to Toronto!!" Then it was, "Oh well, I am not sure how much he can help us now."
Tulo had been my favorite shortstop. As a hopeless fantasy sports fanatic and a baseball fan, I'd followed his career closely. I've always admired players who can produce outsize offensive numbers out of tough defensive positions. You know, slugging SS or 2B, hard-hitting catcher, etc. And Tulo played great D as well, winning two straight Gold Gloves and Silver Slugger Awards in 2010 and 2011.
But precisely because I knew what kind of player Tulo was, I was also worried about his health. Just the previous season, he was limited to 91 games. But at least he was healthy in 2015 with the Rox and was putting up Tulo-like numbers (12 homers .300 avg in 87 games).
Then I watched his first game as a Jay. He batted leadoff and promptly hit a ringing double. He later homered in the game for a three-hit day at the plate.
Pure magic. I think he got a standing O before every PA in that game. But that, sadly, may have been his best game as a Jay.
In 2016, his first full season, Tulo put up decent power numbers (24 homers, 79 RBIs) but more than that, I think he played outstanding defense. I thought it was a travesty he wasn't even a finalist for Gold Glove that year.
It's similar to what I wrote about Kawhi. Tulo, I knew the guy was good, but I had mostly watched him in postseason games and some national games every now and then. Watching him on a regular basis gave me a new appreciation of his excellence.
Look, I want to throw numbers out the window for a second. I know the top three shortstops based on Fangraphs' ultimate zone rating were the three finalists that year, Lindor, Iglesias and Simmons, and Lindor took the award. By most analytics, Tulo was the fifth best SS in AL that year, behind those three and J.J. Hardy, himself a three-time Gold Glover. But Tulo will always be my Gold Glove winner from that season.
2. One by one, we're losing members of our 2015-2016 postseason squads. So here's the Jays' starting lineup in Game 1 of the 2015 ALDS.
1. Ben Revere (7)
2. Josh Donaldson (5)
3. Jose Bautista (9)
4. Edwin Encarnacion (DH)
5. Troy Tulowitzki (6)
6. Justin Smoak (3)
7. Russell Martin (2)
8. Ryan Goins (4)
9. Kevin Pillar (8)
SP: David Price
The first five hitters from that lineup are no longer with the team. Goins, who was one of my favorite Jays at the time, is gone. Martin appears to be on the block. Pillar, too. Smoak could be the only one remaining come Opening Day 2019. Price is also not with the Jays any more. Brett Cecil (gone) and Aaron Sanchez pitched after him.
And the starting lineup for the 2016 Wild Car Game (I am just going with the first postseason game of each season):
1. Devon Travis (4)
2. Josh Donaldson (5)
3. Edwin Encarnacion (3)
4. Jose Bautista (9)
5. Russell Martin (2)
6. Troy Tulowitzki (6)
7. Michael Saunders (DH)
8. Kevin Pillar (8)
9. Ezequiel Carrera (7)
No Saunders, and no Zeke. Travis, Martin and Pillar are the only remaining players. Marcus Stroman started the game, followed by Cecil, Joe Biagini, Jason Grilli (gone), Roberto Osuna (gone) and Francisco Liriano (gone).
Heck, even the manager and half of his staff are gone, too.
I miss those days...
Comments