Pitching last year for the A's Colon went 18-6, posting a 2.65 ERA and finishing 6th in AL Cy Young Award voting (Baseball Reference). Fans immediately took to Twitter voicing their opinions on what turned out to be a very controversial signing for the fan base.
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| Colon pitching for the A's (photo:Getty Images) |
I find myself very conflicted on this signing. One the one hand Colon posted great numbers last year and good ones in 2012, but at the same time he has a history of steroid use and inconsistency. His cheating past is not much reason for me to discredit his numbers from the past couple of years but it is reason for me to dislike his character. Colon has always been fishy to me, from reports of him visiting experimental doctors (New York Times) to taking testosterone supplements (NY Daily News), he has repeatedly been in the spotlight for bad reasons. Many people believe that his experimental treatment contributed to his amazing comeback, made even more amazing by his old, heavy-set build.
Regarding his stats, Colon has been inconsistent his entire career. His ERA and every other major stat have gone up and down year-after-year since his '02 season (Baseball Reference). Though Colon's past two seasons have been phenomenal for someone his age, the problem is just that--his age. At 40 years old and with his track record, I don't believe the Mets should've signed him for as much as they did. After the 2009 season his career looked spiral downward to a close, but then he came back miraculously recovered from his injuries and has pitched well since. The question remains how long he can duplicate those numbers, and whether or not his age and past will catch up to him.
