Derek Jeter is gone, and the shortstop throne in New York is wide open. During the season Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowtizki had been linked to the Yankees as a replacement for Jeter, but now the Mets are the Big Apple's frontrunners for his services.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports the shortstop-needy Mets are rumored to be chatting with the Rockies about acquiring Tulo for a package headlined by right-handed pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard.
Tulowitzki, 30, was on his way to an MVP-caliber season in 2014, slashing .340/.432/.603 with 21 home runs and 52 RBI in only 91 games. Those numbers aren't surprising to those who follow the sport closely-Tulowitzki, when healthy, is one of the premier players in the game.
Healthy Tulowitzki seasons have been difficult to come by for the Rockies, however, which is likely the primary reason he's been put on the trade market. Since the 2011 season in which Tulowitzki played in 143 games, he has missed 222 games. That is more than a full season of baseball, or 45 percent of the games Colorado has played in three years.
On top of those injury concerns, Tulowitzki has a massive contract that the typically stingy Mets front office will have to contend with. He's owed $20 million a year through 2019 before the number dips to a cool $14 million in 2020. After that, the team has the option to keep him in 2021 for $15 million.
Finally, he's been much better as a hitter when he's taking cuts at hitter-friendly Coors Field. He has a career batting average of .324 at home against a .274 mark on the road, his slugging percentage drops 96 points when he's away from home, and he's hit 22 fewer homers despite only playing five less road games.
Syndergaard is considered one of the game's best pitching prospects, but he struggled in Triple A in 2014. Syndergaard was 9-7 with a 4.60 ERA; don't panic though Mets fans. He's only 22 years old and his FIP indicated some bad luck contributed to that number.
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