Blue Jays Senior VP/Baseball Operations & GM Alex Anthopoulos with the acquisition of SS Troy Tulowitzki "has rolled the dice on a blockbuster trade that the general manager believes will pay dividends not only for this season but also for years to come," according to Robert MacLeod of the GLOBE & MAIL. In terms of financing, Blue Jays co-Owner Rogers Communications "can’t be accused of skimping as the Blue Jays have added about $52-million to their payroll over the lifetime of the guaranteed deals" (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/29). In Toronto, Brendan Kennedy writes the next four days "figure to be the most important" of Anthopoulos' career. He "is in the final year of his contract, while the man who hired him -- team president Paul Beeston -- is retiring at season’s end." With a new boss "on the horizon, it’s tough to imagine Anthopoulos surviving another October on the outside looking in." He "is dealing with an anxious fan base" so "standing pat hardly seems an option this time around" (TORONTO STAR, 7/29). Also in Toronto, Bruce Arthur writes for a guy whose boss "is leaving and whose status is uncertain, Anthopoulos has been given exceptional latitude to shape the future." The Tulowitzki move -- along with the trade for 3B Josh Donaldson and the free agent signing of C Russell Martin -- "have all been franchise-defining moves, and Anthopoulos owns them." Anthopoulos "is hewing to his principles: If you’re going to make the big moves, you do it for players you can control, and Tulowitzki is under contract, for good or bad," through '21. Faced with "uncertainty over his own future, Anthopoulos has tried to stay faithful to the club's" (TORONTO STAR, 7/29).
MOVING MOUNTAINS: In Denver, Benjamin Hochman wrote Rockies GM Jeff Bridich was justified in trading Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays because he "had to do something to start a massive rebuild and get rid of Tulo's salary." The Rockies "had to get what they could, they had to take the risk," and they "had to try something radically new." Hochman: "Give credit to owner Dick Monfort." He had been "blindly in love with Tulo, and understandably so -- Tulo is phenomenal when healthy." But Monfort "gave the go-ahead on the trade, for the good of the franchise and fans" (DENVER POST, 7/28).
