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LAS VEGAS — A group of wise New York City lyricists once hit the nail on the head with their claim that “cash rules everything around me.”

But in the case of Troy Tulowitzki vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, cash didn’t rule the day in the end.

While the $38 million owed to the 34-year-old shortstop was already a sunk cost, Jays general manager Ross Atkins wasn’t interested in trying to wring every last dollar of value out of an asset they didn’t think was going to give them much, leading to his surprising, yet somewhat sensible, outright release Tuesday.

“Where we are today, and taking stock, is not where we, ideally, as an organization wanted to be with Troy Tulowitzki, and certainly not what Troy had planned, either,” Atkins said.

“I think, for us, it’s roster flexibility and, for both, it’s the ability to be more proactive and not responsive to the potential of not having that flexibility and Troy being on our roster and potentially not playing on a regular basis.”

For the Blue Jays, this was about an important roster spot and continuing to move on towards the future, one that didn’t involve Tulowitzki, despite the huge amount of guaranteed money coming his way.

It’s a significant chunk of change, too.

The Jays are on the hook for $20 million this coming season, $14 million in 2020, and then a $4 million buyout at the end of the 2020 season in order to escape the final year of the deal that was slated for 2021.

When you consider that the largest payday Atkins has handed out during his three-year tenure as Blue Jays general manager is a $33-million guarantee to Kendrys Morales over three years, the picture is painted of just how much the Jays will be paying Tulo to ply his trade elsewhere, likely for the league minimum.

And make no mistake, that’s exactly what’s going to happen because the veteran infielder and one-time MVP candidate has no plans to call it a career, which is exactly what led to Tuesday’s news after a meeting with Tulowitzki’s agent, Paul Cohen, on Monday.

Once the Jays added up the fact there was no escaping the commitment, no fit whatsoever on a rebuilding roster, and Tulowitzki’s stubborn lack of positional versatility, Atkins had two choices: Cut bait now, or simply let things play out into March, see what Tulowitzki looks like when he returns to the field for the first time in 19 months, and then go from there.

The risk with the second option is the situation turning into an unwanted spring training distraction as a young group of Blue Jays tries to turn the page on the last era.

The organization would have been quizzed daily by media on how Tulowitzki looks and where he fits from the day the Jays hit the first for the first time in February in Dunedin.

That’s the last thing the Jays want, so they turned the page.

While the Jays are undoubtedly the losers in this situation, the monetary loss for ownership is fully on the previous regime, giving Atkins & Co. a little bit more freedom in the situation.

The only way this decision could be seen as a hasty mistake is if Tulowitzki somehow puts together a capable season elsewhere — we’re talking capable as in staying healthy and being above replacement level, not a return to Tulo’s prime — but even that may not be enough for Atkins to second-guess and hand at-bats to a diminished veteran over Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who is now atop the shortstop depth chart for the time being.

“Troy is committed to continue playing,” Atkins said. “We’ll be pulling for him. I think a lot of Troy. We think a lot of Troy. He was, obviously, a very influential piece in 2015 and got to see it first hand in 2016, and things just haven’t transpired the way he wished, so now, taking stock with where we are, we’ve made this difficult decision and will be 100 per cent pulling for his success moving forward.”

Atkins has already said the Jays will now be in the market for some additional shortstop depth, while Cohen wasted no time in trying to drum up interest in his client by saying the Long Beach State product would love to play in the Bay Area, and he may even be open to a position switch.

Amazingly, if Tulowitzki, a Santa Clara native, does end up signing with the Oakland A’s, his “pack his bags and go home” statement from earlier this year would end up being bang on.​