Sources: Mets agree to 1-year deal to bring back Colon
The New York Mets agreed to a one-year, $7.25 million deal with free-agent right-hander Bartolo Colon, as confirmed by FOX Sports MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal on Wednesday.
Colon, 42, was 14-13 with a 4.16 ERA in 33 games (31 starts) this past season for the Mets. He struck out 136 batters in 194 2/3 innings. On Sept. 5 against Miami, he became the oldest Mets pitcher to throw a shutout and the oldest in the major leagues since Jamie Moyer in May 2010.
Sources: #Mets in agreement with Bartolo Colon on one-year, $7.25M contract, pending physical. Initial reports of deal came from DR.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 16, 2015
Per sources, Colon had better offers from other clubs, but wanted to stay with #Mets. Loves fans, teammates, organization.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 16, 2015
That same night, Colon made a nifty behind-the-back toss to first on Justin Bour's grounder. In addition, he had eight hits at the plate this year — after entering with 12 in his previous 17 big league seasons.
In the postseason, Colon made seven relief appearances and allowed two earned runs in 8 2/3 innings. He will have the opportunity to compete for a rotation spot this spring after the Mets' recent trade of left-hander Jon Niese to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Mets manager Terry Collins said Tuesday he was in favor of keeping Colon.
"I know there's talks with him going on," Collins said. "We told him, `Look, there may be a starting spot for you early in the season.' So I hope they can get something done."
Colon is 218-154 in the major leagues, including 29-26 with the Mets. The 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner figures to be the grand old man of New York's rotation for the first half of the season, joining Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz until Zack Wheeler returns from Tommy John surgery.
NOTES: New York said Dick Scott will Bob Geren as bench coach. Scott was the Mets' minor league field coordinator from 2011-12 and had been the team's director of player development since then. Geren left to become bench coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
