Major League Baseball

Troy Tulowitzki released by Blue Jays, owed $38 million

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:02 p.m. ET

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Troy Tulowitzki has been released by the Toronto Blue Jays, who owe the oft-injured shortstop $38 million for the remaining two years of his contract.

Now 34, Tulowitzki has not played in the major leagues since July 2017. He was limited that year to 66 games because of a hamstring and right ankle injury. The ankle required surgery last spring and he missed the entire season.

Tulowitzki was taken by Colorado with the seventh overall pick in the 2005 amateur draft and became a five-time All-Star. The Rockies agreed after the 2010 season to a $157.75 million, 10-year contract that added $132 million over seven seasons, then traded him in July 2015 to Toronto in a deal that brought shortstop Jose Reyes to Colorado.

While Tulowitzki helped the Blue Jays reach that year's AL Championship Series, he slumped the next year and then was derailed by injuries.

He is owed $20 million for next year, $14 million for 2020 and a $4 million buyout of the 2021 team option.

Toronto, which announced the move Tuesday at the winter meetings, will be paying Tulowitzki for many years: $5 million of his 2019 salary is deferred at 3 percent interest and is payable in 10 equal installments each Jan. 1 from 2025-34. In addition, the buyout is due in $2 million installments on July 1 in 2021 and 2022.