New York Post baseball columnist Joel Sherman openly admits that Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzski (30) is not merely “injury prone”, but is currently rehabbing from the same hip ailment that’s all but ended Alex Rodriguez’ productivity. What’s more, Tulowitzki’s gaudy career numbers have benefited from his playing at Coors Field, and he’ll earn more than $21 million per year over the next half decade. Even so, Sherman insists that Tulowitzski could be the Mets’ 2015 version of acquiring Gary Carter, while hoping Colorado can be convinced “this is the Mark Teixeira deal from Texas to Atlanta that so improved the future of the Rangers.” MAKE UP YOUR MIND, JOEL.
To get him — defects and all — the Mets are going to have to give up a bevy of prospects. That hurts. This is not how little you want to give up if you are the Mets. Put yourself in the seat of a new Rockies general manager. What would he have to receive to move from implacable to willing to move a franchise cornerstone? The answer is something that will bring pain to Mets fans, particularly those deluded into thinking every prospect ever praised in Baseball America is going to be a star.
The Mets, though, should demand this concession: They are ready to win now, so Colorado cannot touch the major league roster. So no Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler or Jacob deGrom. The trade begins with Noah Syndergaard. Because of that the Mets get to protect their second-best pitching prospect, Steve Matz.
After that they tell Colorado pretty much have it on any other three players you want from among, say, Rafael Montero, Kevin Plawecki, Brandon Nimmo, Wilmer Flores and Matt Reynolds. Michael Conforto can’t be traded until June, one year after he was drafted, but he could become a player to be named later.