The Mets have filled many holes on their roster this offseason. Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker will take over the middle of the infield, Jerry Blevins has been brought back to help the bullpen, and the Mets are still in search of a centerfielder who will platoon with Juan Lagares. With some new faces being brought on board, the Mets have made the holiday season worthwhile for fans, as the organization resigned Bartolo Colon.
Last season, MLB fans were watching Colon’s at-bats and mannerisms throughout the course of the 2015 season. With plenty of highlights becoming trending topics and memes, Colon’s star was shining bright. Over the course of the season, he had a career high with 8 hits, and his pitching was solid. He won 14 games this year, which was tied with Jacob deGrom for the team lead, and the year before he led the team in wins with 15. His total of 29 wins for the Mets over the past two years, and his selflessness warranted a return to the Mets for the 2016 season.
While many Mets fans may have rolled their eyes at signing Colon in 2013, this time it brings happiness to the fan base. The move should not be considered a PR move, because there are multiple components to the signing that makes sense.
First, Colon’s personality shines all the time. Whether he is on the mound, at the plate, in the clubhouse or with the bullpen, Colon is always bringing smiles to his teammates, which is needed in a clubhouse.
Second, the Mets have one of the youngest rotations in the major leagues, and although Colon will most likely be put in the bullpen when Zack Wheeler returns, his veteran presence will help guide the young pitchers in the rotation. Plus he has said he would be willing to pitch out of the bullpen and help the team in any capacity. It definitely is not easy for a veteran to give up a role he has done throughout his career, but Colon is willing to put the team first, which speaks volumes about his leadership.
Lastly, there is nothing wrong with providing insurance. Will Steven Matz be making over 30 starts this season? Will all the starting pitchers be healthy throughout the season? There is some uncertainty with the starting rotation moving forward, as Matz could be placed on an innings limit, Wheeler’s return is uncertain, and deGrom and Matt Harvey may need off days to stay refreshed. The Mets already had options in Sean Gilmartin and Logan Verrett, but Colon has a proven track record that should reassure the organization moving forward.
The Mets have some more moves to make, but the starting rotation is in good shape moving into 2016. Another year of the young arms developing, mixed with a decent bullpen (that is still undergoing work) and a veteran like Colon should lead to success for the pitching staff. Colon has defied the usual downward trend in an aging player’s career, and hopefully he can continue to produce at a high level in 2016.
“First, Colon’s personality shines all the time.”
Are you implying that Colon is the only one with a personality in the entire game? There are hundreds of other pitchers out there that i’m sure have personalities that can bring smiles to their teammates. Heck, if they’re that worried about smiles, they can hire a freaking clown to do that.
“Second, the Mets have one of the youngest rotations in the major leagues, and although Colon will most likely be put in the bullpen when Zack Wheeler returns, his veteran presence will help guide the young pitchers in the rotation.”
There are plenty of other veteran pitchers out there. And no, the Met rotation is not one of the youngest in the games. There are no fewer than 5 teams next year who will boast all under-30 rotations, and the Mets won’t be one of them. If you want to look at just the top 4 arms in a rotation, even our crosstown rivals have us beat in that category. The average age of Severino/Tanaka/Pinada/Eovaldi, is actually younger than Harvey/deGrom/Matz/Noah. If you want to really look at a young rotation, that’s the 2015 Braves. All but 8 starts were made by guys who were 27 or younger, and the top 6 guys who got starts were all 24 or younger. The Mets are not a young team, in any aspect
“Lastly, there is nothing wrong with providing insurance.”
Yes, but you have listed zero reasons why Colon is the right kind of the insurance at the right price tag.
I’m sorry, but you seem to have mistaken coal as something desirable.
The Mets were compelled to replace Niese in the rotation in order to assure some starting pitching depth just in case one of the four starters got injured. The $7.25 salary for Colon will likely be cheaper than Pelfry, Latos or Fister and Colon had a similar/ better 2015 than those three. He is willing to go to the bullpen with Wheeler’s return. Colon was a perfect fit for the front office and he is a fan favorite. It was a responsible act for a team trying to defend their title just like it was a responsible act to trade Niese for Walker even though it impedes Hererra. Colon is impeding Montero but as the season progresses and injuries occur players like Herrera and Montero will get their chance which is a better situation for the Mets than if Montero and Herrera were starting and got injured. Who then would be their backups? Depth is important.