Though nothing is close, the two teams are kicking the tires on a possible swap of the star shortstop.
Update: According to ESPN's Buster Olney and the Denver Post's Patrick Saunders, the Mets and Rockies are currently not engaged in trade talks regarding Troy Tulowitzki.
#Mets may be talking in-house about Tulo, but good source told me #Rockies have not talked to Mets about Tulo.
— Patrick Saunders (@psaundersdp) November 11, 2014________________
The New York Mets have dominated the early-goings of free agency, first signing Michael Cuddyerto a two-year deal, and now being connected to star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. According to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, the Mets have discussed the possibility of trading for Tulowitzki with the Colorado Rockies, though the four-time All-Star's sizable contract could prevent any deal from coming to fruition. CBS Sports' Jon Heyman adds that he has not heard of any "significant talks", while Newsday's Marc Carig characterizes the talks as "due diligence."
Last week, it was reported by FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the Rockies are finally willing to consider dealing Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez. The Mets make perfect sense as a match for the Rockies, as they could sorely use a shortstop and have a treasure trove of young arms to offer. The Rockies could likely pick from a group of pitchers that includes Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Rafael Montero, Noah Syndergaard, Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, and Jacob deGrom.
As Passan mentions, finances could serve as a roadblock for a possible deal, as Tulowitzki is owed a total of $118 million over the next six years, including $20 million annually through 2019. Of course, considering Tulowitzki's talents, that sum could very well be a bargain.
The 30-year-old Tulowitzki is among the game's best players when healthy. He has averaged 6.7 WAR per 650 plate appearances during his career, and has eclipsed the 5.0 WAR mark in six of the past eight seasons. He was quite possibly the best player in baseball in 2014 before a hip injury ended his season after just 91 games. When on the field, he hit an absurd .340/.432/.603 with 21 home runs, a .444 wOBA, 171 wRC+, and 5.5 WAR. Of course, the major question mark surrounding Tulowitzki is his inability to stay healthy. In eight full seasons, he has played over 130 games just three times, and has missed a total of 222 games over the past three seasons.