Just Mets

When the Mets signed Bartolo Colon to a two-year contract in December, 2013, it seemed inevitable he would be moved at some point before his contract expired at the end of 2015 to make room for some the organization’s younger arms.

While the Mets did explore the possibility of moving Colon at last summer’s trade deadline, according to multiple reports, the Mets were unable to command the value they sought for the veteran right-hander, and chose to hold onto him.

Having done so, a team insider told Andy Martino of the Daily News there is no intention to move Colon this summer, unless doing so directly improves their chances of making the postseason.

The reason behind that thinking, according to Martino, is the club values Colon’s leadership on the pitching staff, and could be a valuable piece of the rotation down the stretch of a pennant race and a postseason series.

Last summer, a source told me another reason the Mets chose to retain Colon at the deadline was he acted as an insurance policy to both Matt Harvey and Jon Niese heading into the 2015 season. In the end, he might’ve served as the insurance policy for Zack Wheeler, but they’ve certainly benefitted by not moving Colon, as well as Dillon Gee for the time being.

In fairness though, I wonder if keeping Colon could have something to do with Noah Syndergaard’s slower progress to the big leagues. It has not been an easy road for Syndergaard since he got to Triple-A – he’s battled nagging injuries and inconsistent performance, and team insiders have deemed him simply not ready for the big leagues over the last year. That could change pretty quickly, as we saw originally with Harvey and Wheeler a few years ago. And, there’s also the possibility Steven Matz will be ready to debut mid-year as well.

No matter what happens with either of the two, Colon has one thing they do not: experience. And that has tremendous value in the heat of a race and the heat of a playoff series.

Aside from his performance, which has a tangible value to the team, what he does in the clubhouse has an unseen value the club clearly recognizes. When the Mets were looking for a starting pitcher in December, 2013, one of the check boxes on their list of criteria was a veteran pitcher who had the ability to lead by example both on the field and in the clubhouse. He has most certainly lived up to that expectation – his performance is really icing on the cake. So many pitchers in the clubhouse now look up to Colon on a daily basis as he’s forged relationships and mentorships with a lot of the younger pitchers, and it’s clear guys like Jeurys Familia have benefitted from his presence over the last year.

Since joining the Mets for the 2014 season, Colon is 19-14 with a 3.98 ERA in 235 innings. He has won more games and logged more innings than any other Mets starter during that span. He is 4-1 with a 3.31 ERA in 32 2/3 innings in 2015.