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The Daily Bernie, 7/28/15: Oakland A's deal Tyler Clippard; trade eclipsced by late Tulo shocker

The Athletics' afternoon trade of Tyler Clippard to the New York Mets for young righty Casey Meisner was greatly overshadowed, as a late blockbuster sent star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to the offense-rich Toronto Blue Jays, among other (far less significant) news.

The newest Toronto Blue Jay, everyone. "Wow." - Ray Fosse, probably.
The newest Toronto Blue Jay, everyone. "Wow." - Ray Fosse, probably.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to The Daily Bernie! Excuse any incoherence, as that Tulo trade has simply blown my mind. It's the best dance in the game, so let's get rolling once more!

  • Late Monday night, the Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies pulled off a deal that shocked not only America, but Canada as well. The entire baseball world was blindsided, as superstar shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (and million year-old reliever LaTroy Hawkins) have been sent to the Blue Jays in return for shortstop Jose Reyes, minor league pitchers Miguel Castro and Jeff Hoffman, and one more minor leaguer. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal was the first to break the massive news that Tulo was heading to Toronto, and he was also the first to confirm the inclusion of Reyes and Hawkins, while Jon Morosi (also of Fox Sports) announced that Castro would head to Colorado. Joining Castro will be the righty Hoffman, per Thomas Harding. No money is involved in the deal, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Heyman also reports that two more unnamed minor leaguers will join Castro in heading to Denver, so one name is still unknown at the time of writing. Neither club has confirmed the deal at this time, and that final name will surface in time. Many are speculating on whether Colorado could look to flip Reyes for prospects soon, and whether Toronto could move another bat (of which they have many) to bolster their weak pitching corps. The fascinating story of this crazy trade is likely far from over, and more updates will likely be on the way in tomorrow's Daily Bernie.
  • In a much less mind-blowing move, the A's dealt reliever Tyler Clippard and cash considerations ($1MM) to the New York Mets in exchange for young right-hander Casey Meisner, as the team announced on Twitter. The Mets had been the favorites to acquire Clippard for most of the day, although the Nationals made a run as well. Meisner, 20, is a tall and lanky High-A pitcher that is very projectable. Many in the industry think Meisner is a great return for two months of a reliever like Clippard. Meisner will report to High-A Stockton.
  • However, Meisner marks the third High-A player the A's have acquired between their two trades in this past week. This could mean a change of future plans, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. General Manager Billy Beane, in a conference call following the Clippard trade, told media that the team has been favoring high ceilings over MLB-readiness. He referenced the seemingly-successful Houston Astros' rebuild as an example of his overall plan. Beane is hopeful the team's youth will be ready to perform by the time the organization's stadium issue is resolved. However, Beane also stressed that no players under team control beyond 2015 will be dealt. This means speculative trade chips such as Ike Davis, Jesse Chavez, and Josh Reddick will likely be staying in Oakland, if Beane's word is believed to be true.
  • A whole slew of other news and notes from around the league: the trade market for A's super-utility man Ben Zobrist is "red-hot" and he should command a nice return (link); the Yankees (link) have discussed star closer Craig Kimbrel with the Padres, as have the Nationals (link); the Dodgers are showing a willingness to move outfielder Yasiel Puig for a fair return (link); the Cubs and Padres have discussed Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro (link), and the Cubs have focused on Padres right-hander Tyson Ross (link); the Astros (link) and Diamondbacks (link) have entered the bidding for Phillies lefty Cole Hamels; the Angels added some outfield depth by picking up Shane Victorino, sending infielder Josh Rutledge to the Red Sox in return (link); the Orioles have discussed acquiring outfielder Justin Upton from the Padres (link).

I'm afraid I will have to skip the Daily Deal today due to time constraints. I apologize, and the Daily Deal will return tomorrow. That's all for today. Feel free to dump any links in the comments below. Until tomorrow - lean on, A's fans!