TRICKING YOU INTO BELIEVING THAT TULOWITZKI RUMOR

I just want to say that I appreciate the many of you BYB readers that have come to me today, asking what to make of the Jon Heyman report about the Yankees "re-checking" on Troy Tulowitzki with the Colorado Rockies.  I appreciate your concern, excitement and trust in me and our BYB product and our opinion and information.  Thanks...

Here's what we know:

Since we last presented the BYB audience with our report about the Rockies wanting to present the Yankees with a package request in the exchange for Troy Tulowitzki... nothing has happened.  In fact, the Yankees signed shortstop Sir Didi Gregorius and we traded away Shane Greene.  Not sure if you remember, but Shane Greene was a guy mentioned on the Rockies wish list of "prospects and MLB ready pitchers" that they would have liked in exchange for Troy.  Read SOURCE ON ROCKIES: "THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT" for more. Remember, it came from our source, and our sources info was rock solid.

We stated then, "According to our guy, the Rockies are interested in Luis Severino 'as well as Rob Refsnyder or Greg Bird... (and) Shane Greene or a Manny Banuelos,' he said."  That's confirmed. What we couldn't confirm until tonight was whether or not the Yankees were approached.  It appears they have been..."

Remember, that was November 18th. Since then, the Mets were attached to Troy. Today, a piece by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com surfaced. It's a piece that I like to call a "click story". That's a story that is purposely thrown out there to peak your interest and not to give you much of anything at all, but in turn, gives Heyman and CBSSports.com a ton of clicks on their page. Plus, attach "Yankees" and Rumors to it, and you'll fall for it every time.  Jon knows this... even you know this because you're smart baseball fans... but you click anyway.  You know what you get? More questions and concerns about Troy Tulowitzki. How do I know? Here's 2 that came my way his morning:

@BleednYankeeBlu What do you think now? Smoke screen or real interest? #2ulo2Yanks
— Doug Treadway (@Tnyankeefan35) December 22, 2014

@BleednYankeeBlu @bgnthelocuntry @ChristinaParkNY @mel_roth @CaCarriec1976 @cemiami Rumor says Yanks are looking at Tulo now. Ughhh.
— Mike Baumann (@MB0923) December 22, 2014

Jon Heyman wrote this in his Tulowitzki piece today:

"One person familiar with the talks suggested Colorado may not agree to a deal unless it feels the return is to too good to turn down. The sides have been discussing packages centered around top Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, but some have suggested that at least at some point the Rockies were also requesting Zack Wheeler be included in the package, though talks are fluid, so that may not be the case now. Just about every young Mets pitcher and player has been mentioned at some point, including right-hander Dillon Gee and shortstops Ruben Tejada and presumably Wilmer Flores, though those players are drawing limited interest and would be considered as perhaps third and/or fourth pieces in a potential deal."

OK,  that part's about the Mets and Rockies and their "negotiation". It appears that if the Rockies were looking for "Prospects and MLB ready players" when they made their list for the Yankees, they have done the same with the Mets as well.  It's in line with what my source had told us in November. "Rox know what they want."

But you want me to get to the Yankees, right? OK. There's more:

"The return on Tulowitzki, 30, would depend on how much money the Rockies might be willing to kick in, though to this point there is no word how amenable they are to paying down the $118 million remaining on his deal over the next six years..."

Again, Heyman discusses the Mets here, this time with the Troy contract, but it seems incredibly similar to what we discussed with our story about Tulowitzki, Read: SOURCE ON ROCKIES: "THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT". We suggested that a deal with the Rockies only truly works if the buyer agrees to pay the majority of Tulo's salary too. I wrote about my text exchange with my source:

" When I asked about any new information about the Yankees, the Rockies and Troy Tulowitzki, I received the following text:

'Re: Tulo. The Rox know what they want. It's really up to the Yankees as to how much they feel Troy is worth.'

I am very curious... 'WORTH???'

Health and price', they wrote back."

Worth.

The Yankees would have been asked to pick up a lot of Troy's salary, what they think he's WORTH. I'm sure that is something they are not willing to do. Plus, the Rox wanted youth too. I said it in November and I'll say it now.  That is not a fair presentation ladies and gentlemen. It made no sense. Why? Because why would the Yankees make moves to get younger, sign a shortstop in Didi, just to sign another one in Tulo and take on more salary and give up prospects? Are you following me? 

We all love Tulo, but the Yankees appear to be moving in a nice direction with Didi and Headley and possibly giving guys like Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela a shot. Floating Tulo rumors now seems like a desperate maneuver by Heyman.

Here's the kicker for me in the Heyman piece:

"The Yankees re-checked late last week on Tulo's availability, and while there is significant question whether they could even match up with the Rockies, their trade for the hard-throwing Nate Eovaldi could possibly give them a slightly better chance.

The Yankees have a top young pitcher Luis Severino, but he's only 20 and didn't reach Double-A until late last season. The Yankees' best young pitcher is probable closer Dellin Betances, though they'd presumably be very reluctant to break up perhaps the team's biggest strength."

This is where I am about 95% sure Heyman's story is BS.  Just an opinion, but I think I'm right.  First off, we just let David Robertson walk... why in the world are we talking about Dellin Betances? There is no way the Yankees part with him now.  Secondly, while Luis Severino was in fact one of the kids mentioned in the Rockies list of prospects that our source revealed, I have trouble believing that we'd give the guy away for Troy Tulowitzki. Again, we now HAVE a shortstop!

I'm calling Shenanigans.  I'm calling BS.  Sure, it's the Yankees we're talking about here, and anything is possible, but it would show a dysfunctional and unorganized Yankee organization if suddenly we woke up tomorrow morning and Troy Tulowitzki was under our Christmas tree and guys like Luis Severino and Rob Refsnyder were traded to Colorado. Plus Didi Gregorius would suddenly be out of a job and what would  the Yanks take on of Troy's salary? $85 million? FORGET IT!  If that happened, it would be then that I would call for the Yankees to regroup on their management side!

It's crystal clear to me, that the Yankees are looking to get younger.  If they weren't, Nathan Eolvaldi, Didi Gregorius and Rob Refsnyder possibly manning second wouldn't be in the cards.  If they went off course now, it may be the dumbest thing I would have ever witnessed as a Yankee fan.

As for Heyman... look, the guy only seems to really be right about anything after the fact. But if you want to sit on his every word and "hope" Troy Tulowitzki is coming to New York, you're allowed  too. You're a fan just like me.  I'm telling you though... I just don't see it and I certainly didn't think much of his report about Troy Tulowtzki and the Yankees today. In fact, I thought it was total BS.

Thank you for your trust in my though.  That's my take... carry on.



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