Last night in Viera, Bartolo Colon started for the Mets and pitched two perfect innings.
“I felt pretty good today but I’m not quite there yet, like season ready. I didn’t throw everything I needed to throw, first time facing batters,” Colon said. “I was pretty happy with what I did. I had really good control of all my pitches.”
Colon was asked about the trade rumors surrounding him over the winter, but seemed unfazed by the talk.
“It’s obviously something we don’t control,” Colon said. “They decided whatever they wanted to decide and went about my game.”
Colon is one of those guys who could pick up a ball in a snowstorm, and go out and throw strike after strike. He’s 41, knows what he’s capable of doing, and doesn’t try and do anything more than that. He actually threw more off-speed pitches than we’ve become accustomed to seeing from him last night, which came as a surprise.
Some folks have wondered why Colon is still on the club. Yes, it was reported he was available this winter, but the team viewed Colon as an insurance policy for the arms of both Matt Harvey and Jon Niese. Yes, he’s an expensive policy, but he’s a leader on the staff, and young guys like Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia seem to be drawn to him. All of that combined has an unspoken value to this team, and should help explain precisely why he’s still here.
Source: Ehalt, Bergen Record
Just Mets 