Jaffe: Troy Tulowitzki hangs up his spikes
From SABR member Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs on July 29, 2019:
Like Nomar Garciaparra before him, Troy Tulowitzki had the primary attributes of a Hall of Fame shortstop. He dazzled us with his combination of a powerful bat, good range, sure hands, the occasional spectacular leap, and a strong and accurate arm while making a case for himself as the position’s best. And like Garciaparra, Tulowtzki has been forced away from the game in his mid-30s after a seemingly endless string of injuries, leaving us to wonder what might have been. The 34-year-old shortstop announced his retirement in a statement released by the Yankees last Thursday.
Tulowitzki’s Yankees career lasted just five games, a blink of an eye compared to the 1,048 he played for the Rockies, or even the 238 he played for the Blue Jays. He wound up a Yankee after being released by Toronto in November 2018, that following a full season spent on the sidelines recuperating from surgery to remove bone spurs in both heels. The Blue Jays cut him while he still had $38 million in guaranteed salary remaining on the 10-year, $157.75 million deal he signed back in November 2010. Given that he would cost his next employer no more than the minimum salary, interest in him was heavy following a December showcase, with as many as many as 16 teams reportedly interested.
The mere chance to secure a version of Tulo that might be even 80% or 70% as good as the player who made five All-Star teams and won two Gold Gloves in 10 seasons with the Rockies (2006-15), at a bargain price — that was a no-brainer.
Read the full article here: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/troy-tulowitzki-hangs-up-his-spikes/
Originally published: July 29, 2019. Last Updated: July 29, 2019.