Should The Mets Pursue A Reunion With Bartolo Colon?

The Atlanta Braves made a transaction that should be noteworthy to New York Mets’ fans this afternoon, designating starting pitcher Bartolo Colon for assignment. Colon left the Mets this winter to sign a one year deal worth $12.5 million dollars with the rebuilding Braves, and the results weren’t pretty. In 13 starts for the Braves this season, Colon is 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA and 1.78 WHIP. Colon’s ERA would be the worst among qualified starters in the league if he hadn’t missed several starts due to an oblique injury. Given the amount of money still owed to Colon this season, he is highly likely to clear waivers and become a free agent. This should lead to immediate speculation about a potential return to the Mets, the team where he found the Fountain of Youth over the past three years.

The Mets haven’t ruled out a reunion with Colon, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports, but they are concerned about the fact that his ERA is over eight. That is a very valid concern for Colon, who simply may not have it anymore at age 44. Advanced statistics indicate Colon has been a victim of poor defense, as his FIP (Fielder Independent Pitching) is over three runs lower than his actual ERA, checking in at 5.08. The two biggest issues with Colon appear to be an increased walk rate of 2.86 per nine innings, up significantly from his 1.5 BB/9 in 2016, and the fact that opponents are hitting .338 with a .946 OPS against him. Colon does appear to be pitching into some bad luck, as his .360 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is up over 60 points above his career average of around .296. Pitching in SunTrust Park also clearly didn’t agree with Colon, whose fly ball style doesn’t play well in the Braves’ new launching pad of a stadium.

The Mets will likely take a look at Colon once he clears waivers in the hopes that a change of scenery will help him recapture his old form. Injuries have hit the rotation hard, with four starters currently on the disabled list, meaning the Mets currently are stuck with Rafael Montero as their fifth starter and Tyler Pill as the next man up. Montero has looked better of late, but until the Mets see more consistency from him they should be looking at outside options to help. The Mets also have to consider the fact that Zack Wheeler is going to run into that innings limit by August, and if they are out of the race Colon isn’t a bad guy to eat some innings and help fill out the rotation. There are no top pitching prospects beating down the doors of Citi Field looking for an opportunity, so it’s not like Colon would be another Jose Reyes, who is playing poorly and blocking top prospect Amed Rosario from his big league debut.

While there are a few on field reasons the Mets could consider a reunion with Colon, his popularity with the fan base could play a role if the Mets can’t get back in the playoff picture. Colon became a cult like favorite over his three years in Queens, and bringing him back could help keep the fans somewhat interested when pitches in hopes they will see a GIFable moment. At worst, Colon could pitch out of the bullpen, which isn’t a bad idea since Mets’ manager Terry Collins recently trotted out Neil Ramirez and his 7.36 ERA in the seventh inning of a 3-3 game. If Ramirez still has a role on this team, there’s no reason the Mets shouldn’t bring back a far more popular player in Colon and hope to catch lightning in a bottle.