TULOWITZKI: WHAT BYB & THE SPORTS FOLKS KNOW

We brought you information on Troy Tulowitzki the past few days.  Through it all, BYB has been up front with you about what we know and what our source could reveal to us.  I can honestly say that no baseball insider has ever taken the time to dissect a story and take it this seriously.  Why you ask? Because this is not our bag, and we want to get it right. 

The rumor season is a silly season, and dare I say careless.  Sometimes insiders will put items out and get you crazy or, just to get you talking for selfish reasons... for clicks. But there will sometimes never be a mention about it again.  While it's not wrong, it's what baseball insiders do.  We are NOT baseball insiders. We are a fan site. I stumbled on a solid nugget from a solid source and we're running with it.  Here's the thing though... we'll stay with you during this journey and see it through.  I think that's why you trust us... and I appreciate that very much.

A lot of sports outlets are talking about Tulowitzki.  We'll show you a few today.

Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated writes of Tulo:

"Regarding Tulo, the Yankees and Mets offer potential destinations, but it remains to be seen whether either team has the willingness to take on that level of risk and money —which includes a bump in salary from $16 million to $20 million starting in 2015 — or the ability to assemble the package of prospects and youngsters that would be needed to pry him loose..."

Nothing that we didn't already report on BYB. For the most part, Jaffe is a truly responsible journalist and everything we have heard, we have also speculated, just like Jaffe. It makes sense. It's what we've stated all along.

Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes:

"'Reports that the Rockies have engaged in substantive trade discussions with any team to acquire Troy Tulowitzki are 'fictitious,' new Colorado general manager Jeff Bridich said Tuesday.

'There’s been the regular checking in with teams just like all teams do,' Bridich said at the General Managers’ meetings. “But there have been no sit-downs or any meaningful discourse on anything.'”

Love Davidoff, but let's be perfect honest here... Why the hell would the Rockies GM show his hand to a New York sports writer? He wouldn't, and so he'll tell you it's not true.  Let's break it down further... BYB has never reported that the Yankees approached the Rockies about a deal.  Furthermore, we could not confim that the Rockies even presented an offer to the Yankees, asking about players. What BYB DID do was report about prospect names that the Rockies are interested in. That we can confirm. We wrote:

"...the Rockies are interested in Luis Severino "as well as Rob Refsnyder or Greg Bird."  Not all three, EITHER Refsnyder or Bird.
But that's not all, they are looking for "an MLB ready pitcher".

"Shane Greene or a Manny Banuelos,"

That's literally  the extent of our reporting so far.

Here's the Washington Post's Barry Svrluga:

"...would a team be willing to pay full freight – as if Tulowitzki is going to be healthy and play 150 games for the third time in his career – and come up with a package that would satisfy the Rockies and a fan base that is attached to their franchise player?"

Exactly.  The biggest concern we've had here at BYB is that the names of prospects that we revealed in  SOURCE: ROX WANT "A LOT" OF TOP PROSPECTS FOR TULO, as well as whether or not the Rockies would take the bulk of the Tulo contract.  Sure if Cashman could get creative and offer up 3 prospects that the Yankees could part with and only take a small portion of Tulo's salary, that's a good thing.  But offering up 4 of 5 prospects and taking on the bulk of Tulo's salary would be madness.  Absolute madness.

Finally, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes:

"The Yankees may be leery of Tulowitzki's injury history, especially with a hip issue now, the same body part that has bedeviled Alex Rodriguez in recent years, though A-Rod is obviously much older and otherwise embattled. Beyond all that, the Yankees may not have the young pitchers to interest Colorado, anyway, which could necessitate the involvement of a third team...Tulowitzki, 30, could fit the Mets as well, but Mets people suggest they already understand Tulowitzki prefers the Yankees, dimming the Mets' interest.

"He wants to be a Yankee," one Mets person said when the subject was brought up a few months ago."

Good reporting and Jon didn't jet off and throw out ridiculous facts.  He's right about the hip. It's a big deal. The Yankees are worried about ARod, and while Tulo is younger, if the Yankees were to ever sit at a table with the Rockies, that's a bargaining chip.... big time.

In the end, our source, who we believe 100% told us nothing that can be disputed with any reporter out there.  In fact, we're right on point.  Here's the difference... we know the names, we know the conversation... the others do not.

Thanks for staying with us on this Tulowitzki journey so far.  It's exciting and if we get more information on the Yankees and Tulo, of course, we will bring it to you.  We will NOT just leave you guessing.  We'll try and walk you through the entire process...whether something happens... or not.

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