The NY Mets and Colorado Rockies have been talking about a Troy Tulowitzki trade all offseason and while no deal is imminent, there is a chance something could go down with Noah Syndergaard, as he likely would be the center of any package between New York and the Rockies in a deal for Tulo.
The Mets have long been interested in Tulowitzki, but the odds of a deal going down were reportedly minimal since Tulowitzki has a ton of money left on his deal. According to Jon Heyman at CBS, the Mets and the Rockies have been talking about a blockbuster trade for some time, but no deal is imminent. Heyman writes that Syndergaard is the player talked about most in deal talks and that any move would be centered in a package around him. Mets reporters have the odds of this deal very low, as the Mets may not want to add the $100 million that the shortstop is owed.
The Mets have been desperate to upgrade at shortstop and all offseason fans and media writers in NY have been looking at Tulowitzki as a possibility. The Mets feel they have the talent to contend and after signing Michael Cuddyer, this would be another major move. Tulo has dealt with numerous injury issues over the past few seasons and that has been another major hurdle. The team doesn't want to take on all that money and give up top prospects for damaged goods and so far he has proven that he can't stay healthy.
Adam Rubin writes that a deal is "5 percent likely" to happen and clearly that is not a ton of confidence from the Mets side. Last season Tulowitzki hit .340 with 21 home runs and 52 RBIs in 91 games and was on pace for a huge year, but he got hurt once again. Tulo hasn't played in over 130 games since back in 2011 and in two of the past three seasons he has been under 100 games played. Tulo has power and is 31 years old, but his massive contract and injury history may keep this from moving forward.
The Mets have a ton of young pitching and that is what the Rockies would want. The team likely will have to move as Noah Syndergaard along with either Rafael Montero or Kevin Plawecki to get a deal done, but right now there is nothing imminent. ESPN.com reports that the team has also discussed looking at Jung-ho Kang, a Korean shortstop, but right now that also looks unlikely, even if the Tulo deal fails. The team has a major hole at short and would love to add Tulo at the right price.
Last season the Mets went 79-83 and finished in the middle of the pack in the NL East and they think that they have a chance to win it this year with the Braves falling out and trading away Jason Heyward and Justin Upton. The Marlins are expected to be improved, while the Nationals are the best team in the division. The Mets need an upgrade and they have the starting pitching to move for it.
From Heyman on Twitter: "Source: #Mets, #Rockies have talked Tulo all off-season, as @JonHeymanCBS said, but discussions have yet to gain traction."