Milwaukee Brewers: Troy Tulowitzki Spurns Crew, Chooses Yankees

While the Milwaukee Brewers would have been the perfect fit for infielder Troy Tulowitzki, he instead chose a different path.

To say those of us at Reviewing the Brew were disappointed to learn that Troy Tulowitzki chose to sign a league minimum deal with the New York Yankees instead of the Milwaukee Brewers would be a massive understatement.

We were driving the bandwagon to get Tulowitzki to Milwaukee, believing him to be the perfect stopgap at second base for the Crew.

He would’ve been cheap, signing for only the veteran’s minimum, and would’ve been able to rest every now and then to keep him fresh. He would’ve had a semi-regular role.

Why Did Tulo Choose New York?

With regular shortstop Didi Gregorius out for all of 2019 with Tommy John surgery, the Yankees need a stopgap at the position. Tulowitzki fits that bill. He would be at his regular position of shortstop in New York, instead of playing at second base, where he would likely be in Milwaukee.

The Yankees are a contending team, and with the potential for time at his natural position, it makes some sense from his perspective.

On the other hand, this signing does not take the Yankees out of the running for Manny Machado. If the Yankees do end up signing Machado, Tulo will be relegated to a bench role, which is probably not something he envisioned.

Why Didn’t Milwaukee Get Him?

The Milwaukee Brewers did have interest in Tulowitzki, but they were facing an uphill battle in convincing him to sign.

For a big name player like Troy Tulowitzki, having the spotlight of a big market is always appealing. The Brewers, despite their success in the postseason in 2018, probably just wasn’t what he was looking for.

And, although Tulowitzki did say he was willing to change positions to find a home with a team, his preference was always to stay at shortstop. If there weren’t any teams to his liking that could play him at short, then he would go somewhere that forced him to move. The Brewers were not about to give Tulo the job at shortstop.

If he wanted to go to second, then Milwaukee would be the spot, but since he wanted to stay at short, Milwaukee would always finish second to whomever could give him the job he wanted.

Instead, the Milwaukee Brewers will have to look elsewhere for another second baseman. While there’s the option of sticking with current options Hernan Perez, Cory Spangenberg, and Tyler Saladino, the Crew still appear poised to add a more established player to the mix.

With Tulo choosing the Yankees, the Brewers either dodged a bullet or missed out on a great opportunity. Only time will tell if it was the right decision.