The first salvo in the makeover of the 2015 Blue Jays is a rocket.
Alex Anthopoulos tells a hastily convened press conference on July 28 that ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ has acquired five-time All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and veteran reliever LaTroy Hawkins from the Colorado Rockies.
In exchange, the Rockies get shortstop Jose Reyes and minor league pitchers Jeff Hoffman, Jesus Tinoco and Miguel Castro. Hoffman and Castro are blue-chip prospects.
The reaction, particularly in the Jays’ clubhouse is, well, muted.
“It’s going to be very sad for me and my teammates because Reyes is the guy here who keeps everybody happy in the clubhouse, in the game, everywhere,†Edwin Encarnacion tells reporters.
“[Reyes] was more than just a part of it,†says slugger Jose Bautista, referring to the team chemistry. “He might have been the centrepiece of all of it. So hopefully him leaving doesn’t affect us negatively when it comes to the chemistry and the energy here. We’re all professionals, though. We can’t use that as an excuse. So we’ve just got to figure it out, continue to play hard and look for the wins.â€
Meanwhile, Tulowitzki has mixed emotions about leaving the Rockies after 10 years with the team and moving to ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½.
“I felt like I got blindsided a bit. I thought I was in the loop, in the conversation,†says Tulowitzki, adding that he had been told by Colorado owner Dick Monfort that he would be kept informed on trade discussions. “So it definitely caught me by surprise. I was shocked, and it caught me off guard. I think maybe I was a little naive to think I would be so connected to the [trade] process.â€
But, he adds, “This is a new chapter in my career, I’m excited about being a Blue Jay, I’m excited about this city of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and bringing back winning, hopefully. That really is the key for me, going to a place where I can win games.â€
Still, many Jays players, fans and pundits are thinking (and more than a few are saying) the same thing: “Okay, Tulo is great. But what about the pitching?â€
The answer will not be long in coming. Two days later, the big bombshell drops. David Price, arguably one of the top five starting pitchers in major league baseball, is a Blue Jay. This time the reaction is anything but mixed.
“We feel we added a No. 1 starter and one of the best starters in the game right now,†Anthopoulos tells another news conference. “We really haven’t had a true No. 1 since Roy Halladay was here. You kind of forget what that was like. We think we’re a good team and adding a guy like Price I think makes us that much stronger and will give us a chance to win. It’s as simple as that.
“I did get a text from Jose Bautista with just, ‘Is it true?’†Anthopoulos tells reporters. “And I said, ‘Yes,’ and he just wrote, ‘Yes!’ with about a million exclamation marks.â€
“Excitement at an all-time high. Get to compete and chill with one of my role models in baseball,†injured starter Marcus Stroman tweets. “See you in September, my man!â€
“It’s getting hot up in the six!!†tweets third baseman Josh Donaldson.
“They have a good thing going right now in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½,†Price says. “They’ve been in that situation before and they didn’t make these types of moves. It definitely shows you that they want to win right now. You gotta respect that. You have to like it. That’s what you want to be a part of.â€
And that’s not all. Within 24 hours, Anthopoulos adds two more players to the fold. Outfielder Ben Revere comes from Philadelphia in exchange for two minor pitchers and reliever Mark Lowe is picked up from Seattle for three minor leaguers.
Revere adds solid defence, a terrific on-base percentage and speed to the mix and soon will settle in as the everyday leadoff hitter. Lowe is a 32-year-old veteran who is enjoying his best season as a pro. His addition along with 42-year-old LaTroy Hawkins gives the young bullpen some much needed experience and skill.
“He’s someone that brings an element to our lineup that we don’t have,†Anthopoulos says, referring to Revere’s speed. “Just having that pest . . . who can put pressure on the defence, steal a base when everybody in the park knows he’s going, it’s just a completely new element for our offence.â€
The makeover continues on August 8 when Anthopoulos lands utility infielder Cliff Pennington from Arizona and wraps it up with a minor deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that nets infielder Darwin Barney.
The additions of Pennington and Barney look particularly smart in September when Tulowitzki collides with Kevin Pillar, as both chase a pop fly, and goes down with a cracked shoulder blade.
With the dealing done, the Jays general manager can finally get some sleep. It’s not hard to imagine that his dreams include visions of his team in the World Series.
Big deals
07/28 Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and pitcher LaTroy Hawkins from Colorado for shortstop Jose Reyes and pitchers Jeff Hoffman, Jesus Tinoco and Miguel Castro
07/30 Pitcher David Price from Detroit for pitchers Daniel Morris, Matt Boyd and Jairo Labourt
07/30 Pitcher Mark Lowe from Seattle for pitchers Jack Brentz, Nick Wells and Rob Rasmussen
07/31 Outfielder Ben Revere from Philadelphia for pitchers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado
08/08 Infielder Cliff Pennington from Arizona for cash and shortstop Dawel Lugo
09/13 Infielder Darwin Barney from the Los Angeles Dodgers for a player to be named later
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