Tulowitzki still furious with Rockies over trade

It may be a new year, but Troy Tulowitzki is holding on to an old grudge.

The shortstop is still furious with Colorado Rockies executives, particularly general manager Jeff Bridich, for blindsiding him with last July's trade to the Toronto Blue Jays.

"I'll never talk to him, never talk to those people," Tulowitzki told USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale. "You get lied to, straight to your face, you get upset. I believe in forgiveness, but at the same time, I don't plan on being friendly with them, or anything like that.

"All I wanted was to be informed, and not be caught off-guard, and I was caught off-guard. They always told me, 'Hey, we're going to inform you. You're going to know exactly what's going on. If anything were ever to get close, we'll let you know.'"

Tulowitzki and the Blue Jays visit Colorado in June, and the ongoing feud will surely be a hot topic entering the three-game set at Coors Field.

"I feel we handled our business professional," Bridich responded Sunday. "If he feels that way, too bad. There's no use talking about it. I choose to stay above that."

Bridich and then-Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos pulled off the late-July trade seemingly out of nowhere, with no indications the two sides were talking about a potential deal.

"Frankly, I think it's a crime that the media does what it does, basically creating stories and creating lies, and not even considering players and their families and their loved ones," Bridich added. "Basically, the media has lost all respect for what rumors and innuendo can do to a player and the players' families."

Tulowitzki plans to use his anger as motivation this year in Toronto for a club that features one of the most dangerous lineups in the majors.

"I look forward to playing here just to prove people wrong," he said. "Last year was a tough transition for me. But you're going to see a different player this year. The sky is the limit now."

The five-time All-Star only slashed .239/.317/.380 with the Blue Jays in 41 regular-season games after the trade, but recorded 11 RBIs in as many contests during their postseason run.