MLB Rumors: Red Sox Have ‘Legitimate’ Interest In Troy Tulowitzki

The Red Sox don’t necessarily have an urgent need to fill any infield positions, but that apparently isn’t preventing them from looking around.

Boston reportedly was among the 12 teams that attended free-agent shortstop Troy Tulowitzki’s workout Tuesday morning in Long Beach, Calif., and it appears they were intrigued.

According to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham, the Red Sox have “what was described to me as ‘legitimate’ interest.”

The Tulowitzki situation is an interesting one.

He was released from his lucrative, multi-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last week with two years left on the deal. He’s been plagued by injuries, missing all of 2018 after playing just 66 games in 2017. The 34-year-old’s productivity dipped upon his trade to the Blue Jays during the 2015 season, but the upside is there. He’s a five-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger.

Tulowitzki is a shortstop, but he theoretically could play second and/or third base. If he were to join the Red Sox, he would be fighting for time with Brock Holt, Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez, with other players like Tzu-Wei Lin also available.

On the flip side, the Blue Jays are on the hook for Tulowitzki’s salary, so the team that signs him technically only has to pay him the league minimum. Because of that, the risk is minute.