Disputing an earlier report that the Mets would take on some salary if it would facilitate a Bartolo Colon trade, GM Sandy Alderson said the team is not anxious to deal the veteran starter.
Alderson said the Mets are not considering eating part of Colon’s salary to facilitate a deal.
“We like Bartolo and we like him for the money he’s signed this season,” Alderson said in his evening media session at the Winter Meetings. “Frankly we are not looking to trade him.”
“I don’t think anything’s changed, but we’re not anxious to trade Bartolo.”
December 7
Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the Mets would be willing to take on some salary to help expedite a trade of veteran righthander Bartolo Colon. He is owed $11 million dollars for 2015, the final season of his two-year, $20 million deal he signed with the Mets last offseason.
The Mets were reportedly willing to eat $2 million of his salary during the trade deadline, so this is not surprising. Colon was placed on waivers afterward but went unclaimed.
Colon, 41, is coming off an up and down season that saw him win 15 games while posting a 4.09 ERA over 31 starts. In 202.1 innings he allowed 218 hits including 22 home runs, while walking 30 and striking out 151 batters.
Along with Dillon Gee and Jon Niese, the Mets will aggressively shop all three at the Winter Meetings which begin on Monday at San Diego.
I have to believe there’s at least a couple of teams out there who could use a veteran like Colon despite the risks. While the Mets would likely get better offers for Gee and Niese, I have a hunch Colon is the one they prefer to unload.
It should be a fun week coming up for our New York Mets, and I hope you stick around and enjoy our coverage on MMO.
