[Reaction] Mets Agree to Terms with SP Bartolo Colon

The New York Mets dealt with their need for a starting pitcher today, signing Bartolo Colon to a 2-year contract worth $20-million (NY Post). Colon is 40 years old and has pitched for many teams including the Indians, Angels, Yankees, and most recently the Athletics (Baseball Reference).

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.

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.

Wright Rumors

This past Saturday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post said that a Mets official had told him the team would entertain trade offers for David Wright. He quotes an un-named team official as saying “We will listen on Wright for sure” and “We know we are not going to win it all in 2012. We have to hope the Phillies get old and we are in position to take advantage of that in 2013-14, and we have to figure out ways to speed the process to get there.”

As a diehard Mets fan these statements are almost disturbing to hear. Wright and Jose Reyes have been the two star faces of the franchise since their Major League beginnings. “Reyes” and “Wright” jerseys have consistently been the hottest sellers due to the players’ success, youth, work ethics, and their being homegrown by the Mets from the farm system all the way to “the show”.

Mets fans have no need to worry about Wright just yet however, as the team would need to see a big offer to even consider unloading the star third-baseman. As a National League executive, who has spoken with Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, said, the Mets would need to be “bowled over” by an offer in order to seriously ponder a Wright trade.

In terms of possible suitors for Wright, two teams have come up in conversation: the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (say that 5 times fast) and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Angels look like the most serious possibility in terms of a deal due to their plethora of young outfielders. The rumor of a possible deal with the Phillies, however, is quite humorous. The Phillies have apparently expressed some interest in Wright before, but the Mets would never trade him to their bitter rivals. Plus, the Phillies do not have much to offer for David at the moment.

One of the only downsides to Wright has been his decrease in power since his Shea Stadium days. Many have blamed his homerun drought on the dimensions of city field, and they definitely have a point. Wright and the entire Mets team did much better offensively and posted a better record this year in away games. They posted an away record of (43-38), and a Citi Field record of (34-47). Wright’s individual stats also showed an alarming difference at home—he batted .238 during home games, and .268 outside of Citi Field.

  

For once, the Mets made the right move and nipped the issue in the bud: the club recently announced shorter dimensions for Citi Field, effective at the beginning of this coming season.

These changes will benefit the entire team, not just Wright. Alderson expressed his thoughts after the announcement: "It used to be, let's say, that pitchers would just pitch outside at this ballpark -- stay away, stay away, stay away," he said. "Now, that may not be as good a strategy as it was before. So a lot of things could change. The pitching strategy could change. The attitude of the hitters and their approach could change. And so, as a result, a lot of this static information that we evaluated isn't necessarily going to predict the outcome."

The bottom line is that the Mets successfully turned discouraging rumors into good news about the team—a great fan base-saving technique and an overall step in the “Wright” direction.