At least you can give the Mets credit for spending some money.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they spent it very wisely, when they threw $20 million over two years at 40-year-old Bartolo Colon, a known PED user, who magically rediscovered his game last season with the Oakland A's.
Make no mistake, on paper, Colon would seem like a positive addition. He won 18 games last year, had a ERA of 2.65, and was sixth on the Cy Young balloting. Yet, Colon will be 41 in Spring Training, and his ever present weight of 265 plus pound is sure to be an issue.
While his 2013 was spectacular, it should come with raised eyebrows. Colon hadn't had a season that good since 2003, when he was 15-13 with a 3.87 ERA for the Chicago White Sox. From 2004 - 2012, Colon's skill set greatly diminished and he battled numerous injuries. On top of that he was also suspended 50 games in 2012 for PED use.
So this addition comes with a big time asterix for the Mets. While the Mets are not a team bereft of pitching, they are hoping that Colon can be a bridge to Noah Syndergaard -- that is if Colon can stay healthy long enough to make a dent in the rotation.
If Colon is even a mild success they Mets could always trade him by July, even though teams will be leery about picking up the remaining $10 million he is owed in 2015.
However if Colon should struggle, and at his age, the Mets would be hard pressed to expect Colon to duplicate his 2013 success, this would be a colossal failure for New York.
For $20 million, the Mets could have spent this money elsewhere. Maybe throw some of that money at Bronson Arroyo, or even use to pump up an offer to short stop Stephen Drew. Instead the Mets give it to Colon. The Mets better hope it was worth it.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they spent it very wisely, when they threw $20 million over two years at 40-year-old Bartolo Colon, a known PED user, who magically rediscovered his game last season with the Oakland A's.
Make no mistake, on paper, Colon would seem like a positive addition. He won 18 games last year, had a ERA of 2.65, and was sixth on the Cy Young balloting. Yet, Colon will be 41 in Spring Training, and his ever present weight of 265 plus pound is sure to be an issue.While his 2013 was spectacular, it should come with raised eyebrows. Colon hadn't had a season that good since 2003, when he was 15-13 with a 3.87 ERA for the Chicago White Sox. From 2004 - 2012, Colon's skill set greatly diminished and he battled numerous injuries. On top of that he was also suspended 50 games in 2012 for PED use.
So this addition comes with a big time asterix for the Mets. While the Mets are not a team bereft of pitching, they are hoping that Colon can be a bridge to Noah Syndergaard -- that is if Colon can stay healthy long enough to make a dent in the rotation.
If Colon is even a mild success they Mets could always trade him by July, even though teams will be leery about picking up the remaining $10 million he is owed in 2015.
However if Colon should struggle, and at his age, the Mets would be hard pressed to expect Colon to duplicate his 2013 success, this would be a colossal failure for New York.
For $20 million, the Mets could have spent this money elsewhere. Maybe throw some of that money at Bronson Arroyo, or even use to pump up an offer to short stop Stephen Drew. Instead the Mets give it to Colon. The Mets better hope it was worth it.
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