The Toronto Blue Jays Are Paying One of Their Former Stars $38 Million to Not to Play for the Team
Troy Tulowitzki was paid to play and now he’s earning cash to be a free agent.
Last week, the five-time All-Star shortstop was released from the Toronto Blue Jays, MLB reported. Because of his initial contract, Tulowitzki’s former team will be responsible for paying him the $38 million dollars owed over the course of two years.
Meanwhile, the two-time Gold Glove winner, 34, will now be available to sign with any MLB team of his choosing for a minimum deal of $555,000, according to MLB.
Back in 2015, Tulowitzki was signed to the Toronto Blue Jays after playing eight seasons with the Colorado Rockies. At that time, the MLB star was in his fifth season of a 10-year deal that paid him $157.75 million, MLB reported.
Though he became an asset to the Blue Jays in three short years, Tulowitzki’s career temporarily came to a halt in 2017 after he developed bone spurs in his heels.
Tulowitzki eventually underwent surgery to remove the spurs and was forced to sit out for the entire 2018 season in the aftermath of his procedure.
Luckily, the MLB star made his long-awaited return to the diamond on Tuesday in Long Beach, California — just seven days after his release, Yahoo! Sports reported.
At the self-held workout, which featured looks by several teams including the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles, Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown and MLB Columnist Jeff Passan explained that a comeback for Tulowitzki in 2019 looked promising.
What @TBrownYahoo saw from Troy Tulowitzki today dovetails with what a number in attendance told me: He looks fit, he’s moving very well and if he’s anything like he was today, he’s going to be able to help a contender. And for the minimum salary at that. https://t.co/2fLEPvZ1c4
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 19, 2018
“The guy I saw today is healthy and ready to play…” Brown wrote on Twitter.
“What @TBrownYahoo saw from Troy Tulowitzki today dovetails with what a number in attendance told me: He looks fit, he’s moving very well and if he’s anything like he was today, he’s going to be able to help a contender. And for the minimum salary at that,” added Passan.
“I think I needed to get myself right, mentally and physically,” Tulowitzki told Yahoo! Sports. “I took a year off to get myself right. I’m looking forward to playing the game I love.”
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With some of the California teams watching his workout and because of his roots, fans are speculating that the All-Star shortstop will return to his home state and play for the Angels or Giants.
Others believe that Tulowitzki, who has exclusively played shortstop in the MLB, will change his position to second base. According to the MLB, Tulowitzki has already expressed interest in a possible switch.
But only time will tell how long Tulowitzki — who holds a .290 career batting average, 224 total home runs, and 779 total RBIs — will be a free agent for before he’s scooped up by another MLB team.
