According to Marc Carig of Newsday, the Mets may not re-sign Bartolo Colon this offseason. According to Carig’s sources, the 43 year old may command a multi-year deal coming off his best season as a Met.
The 2016 season was easily Colon’s best season as a Met. Overall, Colon was 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.210 WHIP. Each of those numbers were the best the 2016 All Star has put up in a Mets uniform. The main benefit of having Colon in the rotation was the fact that he has proven to not only be durable, but also a mentor to the younger pitchers on the Mets staff. He was also a fan favorite who led the majors in DRS and hit his first career home run.
Should Colon depart the Mets this offseason, he leaves behind an indelible mark. In his three seasons, he has gone 44-34 with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.225 WHIP.
The Mets decision on Colon may also be motivated by the emergence of Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo in the second half of the season. Gsellman and Lugo stepped up and pitched extremely well for a Mets rotation decimated by injuries and for a Mets team fighting for a Wild Card berth. Another factor is the Mets anticipate Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Steven Matz will be healthy to start the season.
It should be noted that the Mets have not completely ruled out re-signing Colon, nor is there any indication that Colon would want to accept a multi-year deal with another team rather than return to the Mets for one more season.
