The latest on the Bartolo Colon front comes from Andy Martino of the Daily News. Sources tell him that the Angels and Royals both considered trying to trade for the veteran righy, but felt the cost in prospects and salary were too much.
Neither team is hot for Colon and overall interest in him seems to be waning.
Colon cleared waivers on Monday and can be traded to any team. However teams are apparently leery about taking on Bartolo Colon’s $11 million salary for 2015.
The Mets would have to kick in some money to facilitate any deal, but it appears more likely they’ll deal Colon in the offseason.
An executive from a team that was interested in Colon told Martino, “Everyone is scared of next year.”
Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times pointed out that the Angels would be up against the $189 million luxury-tax threshold if they were to take on Colon’s salary for 2015, leaving them virtually no flexibility to pursue another free-agent next winter.
The Mets have five days left to complete a deal. After August 31, Colon would be ineligible for a postseason roster, making him a lot less attractive to contenders.
As I’ve been maintaining all along, I still don’t see Colon being dealt until the offseason, if they deal him at all. I’m still not convinced they don’t hang onto Colon as a hedge against Harvey returning at full strength. That was WHY Alderson gave Colon that second guaranteed year in the first place
At least we now know that no team was willing to take on Colon and his salary even if it cost them no players in return. That speaks volumes…
August 24
Buster Olney of ESPN Insider touches on what I said yesterday:
“For the Angels to have a shot at Colon on waivers, he would have to pass through the entire National League without any team placing a claim — and the Dodgers would be a candidate to take a shot at him, given their injuries — and all the way through every other AL team, including the New York Yankees, who have been placing a lot of claims to block.”
Olney says that Colon could be auditioning for the Dodgers in his start against them on Sunday.
Also, a rival executive told Olney that the Mets would be ecstatic if a team claims Colon because they have a small-market payroll and need the financial flexibility.
Finally, the San Francisco Giants may also be a strong suitor for Colon as Tim Lincecum is dangerously close to being removed from the rotation.
This is starting to get very interesting.
August 23
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is reporting that the Mets have placed Bartolo Colon on revocable waivers.
If Colon is claimed, the Mets can pull him back and be unable to trade him, work out a trade with the claiming team, or dump the $11 million contract for 2015 on the claiming club.
If Colon is claimed, the two teams have 48.5 hours to work out a trade.
He must pass through 28 teams before the Los Angeles Angels could get a crack at him, Rosenthal adds.
One team who could block the Angels are their division rivals, the Oakland A’s, who are one game behind them for first place in the AL West.
Lets see, the Dodgers, Mariners and Yankees may all have varying degrees of interest, and they each have better farm systems than the Angels….
Fasten your seat belts everybody…
