Troy Tulowitzki trade: The end of an era

The Colorado Rockies traded Troy Tulowitzki.

I'm going to repeat that ... because it bears repeating.

The Colorado Rockies have traded star shortstop -- best player in the National League -- Troy Tulowitzki. An era of Colorado Rockies baseball is over.

Tulo will not become the greatest Rockie of all time. He will not lead the Rockies to their first championship. He will not take another swing, or another dive, or another trot around the bases in a Rockies uniform. The Troy Tulowitzki era in Colorado is over.

What we know is that what seemed like another "nah, it couldn't be" moment in a long string of such moments last night -- when Tulo left the game late without explanation -- turned into a "oh my god, it is" moment that turned Rockieville on its head and set Twitter aflame.

The Troy Tulowitzki era in Colorado is over.

What we know is that the Rockies received an oddly similar player in return. Jose Reyes may or may not have a future, or even a present, in purple pinstripes but one can't help but note the irony in acquiring a highly paid, injury-prone, and aging shortstop in exchange for a highly paid, injury-prone, and aging shortstop.

The rampant fervor intrinsic in a 24-hour news cycle can lead to even more rampant speculation.

Are there more moves to come? Doesn't this mean the team has to trade Carlos Gonzalez? And really, how secure is the future of guys like Nolan Arenado and Corey Dickerson? Did Jeff Bridich make this move just to prove he is the man in charge? They have to be flipping Reyes for something, right? RIGHT!?

What we know, is that the Rockies received two young and exciting pitchers in Jeff Hoffman -- once considered a No. 1 overall talent in the draft -- and Miguel Castro ... who throws really hard. They both bolster an already powerhouse farm system.

What we know is that there is a third minor league piece yet to be announced.

But mostly, what we really know, is that the Troy Tulowitzki era in Colorado is over.

He isn't ours anymore. He won't be a life-long Rockie. Maybe no one will be again. Maybe this is a smart business move. Maybe this is a terrible business move. Maybe the Rockies and the Blue Jays will play each other in the 2017 World Series and Tulo will embrace series MVP Nolan Arenado -- his protégé -- with tears in his eyes.

The future holds all kinds of possibilities. But all of the images of Tulo hoisting trophies under crisp October skies at Coors Field will stay forever dreams.