The Braves announced that they have designated veteran righty Bartolo Colon for assignment. Atlanta selected the contract of southpaw Rex Brothers to take his roster spot.
It always hurts to drop a player who’s owed a big salary — in this case, $12.5MM on the year — but his performance left the team with little alternative. Colon, 44, carries an unsightly 8.14 ERA through 63 innings with 6.0 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 and a 45.6% groundball rate.
Though a recent DL placement bought some time and afforded an opportunity for a reset, Colon struggled upon his return. He lasted only four innings against the Padres yesterday, coughing up six earned runs on eight hits and three walks.
Looking a bit deeper, things don’t get any more encouraging. While his velocity is holding steady, Colon has relied completely upon pinpoint command in his long and successful late-career run. That just hasn’t been there in 2017. A comparison of his heat maps (2016 vs. 2017) shows that the burly hurler just isn’t catching the edge as much as he needs to be useful. On the year, he has worked in the zone at a 42.9% rate — far shy of his 52.4% career mark. And when he does throw strikes, they have been knocked around for a .360 BABIP and 1.57 homers per nine.
Whether there’s another comeback attempt left in the tank remains to be seen. Other organizations may well believe there’s a chance he can again walk the fine line he’s been striding in recent years and provide some innings. (The Mets need some depth and would be seem an obvious possibility.) Regardless, there’s no chance that any will stake enough cash on that possibility to submit a claim.
No matter how things shake out, Colon’s amazing late-career run remains one of the game’s most intriguing achievements in recent memory. He sat out the 2010 season with arm issues, then returned for his age-38 campaign. Over the next six years, Colon placed 23rd in fWAR — edging James Shields, Yu Darvish, Doug Fister, and Jeff Samardzija — by running up over thousand innings of 3.63 ERA ball. Last year, Colon gave the Mets 191 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA pitching at 43 years of age, which led to the ill-fated contract from the Braves. He also threw 14 2/3 quality postseason innings (with the 2013 A’s and 2015 Mets) in that period and left an array of memorable moments. (This one takes top honors for me.)
While the Braves are set in the rotation now without Colon — highly regarded prospect Sean Newcomb came up when he hit the DL — the disappointing performance does still tell on the organization. Most notably, Colon won’t be a trade chip, and he also won’t be available to help shoulder the load if the team moves other arms. And the club will owe the balance of his salary, less the pro-rated league-minimum for any time he spends with another team in the majors.
It’ll be interesting, though, to see the two lefties that the move makes way for. Newcomb has pitched well, with a 1.48 ERA over four starts, and figures to get a longer look and a real shot at locking up a rotation spot for 2018. And Brothers, who’s still just 29, has put up some interesting numbers in the minors. After posting huge strikeout figures at Double-A to open the year, the former Rockies reliever has thrown 4 1/3 scoreless at the highest level of the minors. Most notably, Brothers seems to have gotten a handle on the control problems that led to the end of his tenure in Colorado.
WHAT!?
Smart
Good to see Brothers back up!
But what is Bartolo going to do? This is starting to feel like his retirement season
Starting to feel like retirement year?! He has been awful and was dealt 12.5 million. He is absolutely retiring after this year. It’s time. Glad the braves didn’t keep that going just becasue they bit it on the contract
He will need the money to support his two families!
You mean his eating habit
Lol no chill
Yea it was a bad contract, but no need to keep making a mistake running
Him out there because made a mistake signing him.
is this the end of the line for Big Sexy?
FINALLY
I love Big Sexy but it’s about time
I smell a Mets trade or signing coming soon
Absolutely no chance they trade for him. If they do pick him up, it will be after they wait until he goes through waiver and then pick him up without having to pay for his stupid contract
Back to the Mets he goes!
Thank you, Jesus
Bout’ time. Sorry things didn’t work for him and the Braves. Wish he could have left MLB on a positive note.
12.5 mil is pretty positive
Oh wow. This honestly is news to me.
Not like the braves are gonna contend this year anyways , get some younger talent up and see what they can do, can’t me much worse . And I’m sure someone will sign him to a minor league deal at least .
As it’s always said, it’s not about the younger talent being better or worse, it’s about them being mentally ready for MLB. They rushed some up last year, and clearly it wasn’t something they wanted to do again this year.
He was here to eat innings. Sadly, he didn’t live up to the contract.
No no, been waiting for Brothers. Hopefully he will take Krol’s place in due time.
Should have recalled Enrique Burgos. He has nine scoreless appearances for Gwinnett.
Brothers has done pretty well himself, and has demonstrated better control overall than Burgos, plus he’s already shown in the past that he can be very effective. Burgos is definitely making a case for sure, but I agree with their decision to bring up Brothers first.
Maybe the mariners or Mets pick him up on a minor league deal
I am hoping the Mets do pick him up. At least an NL team.
Had to happen, unfortunately, since he hasn’t really done well at all this season. Hopefully he can somehow get his stuff back together and perform decently well for someone else, since he’s definitely had a great career, but if he can’t then it’s time to call it a career.
NYY reunion?
they have plenty of options under the age of 40
He’s obviously trolling
And all braves fan said hallelujah!!
Amen! Hallelujah! God is good
Mets should bring him back, it’s not like he can do much worse than what they’ve got kicking around in Vegas.
Colon and Tebow can sell tickets.
At last!!!
I believe that he and Beltran are the only 2 players left that played in the Astrodome.
Beltre, sorry.
Good luck Big Sexy! Will miss that big ass…smile in a Braves uni for the short time we got to enjoy it.
I’m sure Mets are interested, No doubt.
No question that this the right move by the Braves. Had Big Sexy even pitched decent in his starts the Braves record right now would be over 500. It won’t happen but moving forward teams should have a refund clause in the contract. That if a player doesn’t live up to his contract a team will be able to ask and get refund as long the player has been DFA. The player union might not like this move but it is the right move to protect both the team and the player.
The players union will NEVER agree to that.
That is stupid.
How in the world does that protect the player? If anything, it screws over the player. It’ll never happen.
yeah make sure the billionaire owners get their money back.
You’re joking, right?
I see what ur saying, but there are tons of things you’re overlooking. For example, what if a team overworks the player, and then the player gets hurt and underperforms.
Mets are gonna sign Colon back and have him pitch the night Tebow is called up from the minors. They will get absolutely crushed, but it will be the highest attended game in franchise history. lol
Maybe Tebow would actually get a hit if Colon was pitching against him this year. Tebow was a mediocre QB and he’s an awful baseball player.
Careful the God Squad will come to get you!
Hate that it didn’t work out. I see the Mets taking him on a minor league deal.
No one idea why he had to even start last night.
Cost us a loss for no reason.
The 2nd best obese player of all time.
Third..Wells is second and did it cleanly!
depends on how you define obese. technically, aaron judge is obese.
Walks kills this man forreal
Walks or running is very painful for him…
Pretty great career. Missed 5 straight seasons in his prime and still won 230 games; might have been the last 300 game winner without that.
He was dirty!
It’s too bad he didn’t work out, but at least Sean Newcomb has shown some promise early on. In a few years they’ll probably have Fried, Soroka, Anderson, and Gohara to join him in the rotation and form another Braves dynasty. Good for them for moving on from Colon.
Too bad he didn’t work out? Dude was still pitching in major league baseball at age-44. I think he was doing alright.
They still have Folty and Teheran under team control for many years. So unless one/both are traded, I think they will be long-term members of the rotation as well. Chances are, at least 1-2 of Fried, Soroka, Anderson, Gohara, Newcomb either don’t pan out or end up in the bullpen as well.
Don’t forget about Allard, Kyle Wright, Kyle Muller, Bryse Wilson, Richardo Sanchez, Drew Harrington, Patrick Weigel (out until 2019 from TJ), etc.
And almost everyone forgets about Sims (who for some reason I still think will end up in the bullpen). Sims for awhile was having a better start this season than Newcomb. His still hasn’t been too bad and was just named to the AAA All-star game.
Still forgetting Touki Toussaint as well
Big sexy
Big Sloppi, not to be confused with Big Papi.
This guy will be a top recruit for men’s leagues wherever he resides. There is no way he stops playing baseball, ever. Thanks for playing the game like a kid. Maximum respect to you, Bartolo!
Going to Cubs. Will be on mound when Cubs win World Series again .
When he is 217 years old, throwing 81 mph on the black.
New Nats closer!
Cold shot, LA Sam… but I like it!!
Lol
If he’s not signed by the Mets I’d be surprised
BRING HIM HOME
Sure Eventually. HE will be FREE. The Wilpons are CHEAP. Plus he adds a FREAK SHOW AURA to the team, similar to Tebow. “Let’s go to the game to see players that can’t really compete on the field, so we can say we did”.
Boy if he retires, this year will really inflate his career numbers. But it is what it is.
El barto was the last remaining expo left in the majors.
goodbye montreal
NOOO!!!!!
I’d like to see the Indians pick him up for a reunion tour! (assuming the Braves eat the contract)
Colon already ate his contract, and everything else not tied down in Atlanta.
Braves designate Bartolo Colon….as a poor excuse for an athlete.
I’ve been smiling stupidly at Jeff’s use of the phrase “burly hurler” for way too long now.
Who wouldn’t want a burly hurler?
At least we can always remember him by his epic homerun. One of the marquee moments in league history.
The impossible has happened!!!
Big sexy is headed back to the big Apple
Of course, he has kids scattered all over there, families on each side of town.
He was the only player to play in Fulton County Stadium, Turner Field and Sun Trust Park. His career literally lasted longer than a stadium, amazing!
Zimmerman was an expo
He was originally drafted by Montreal in 2005 and later that season the Nationals began their franchise
If this is the end of a career, what a heck of a career. As I noted above, he has 235 career wins despite missing five seasons in his prime. Just give him 13 wins a year for those seasons and he makes 300. Was able to adapt to his limited ability in a way few pitchers ever could. I know the joke is going to be about how he was fat, but so was Babe Ruth. So was Prince Fielder. So was Tony Gwynn. John Kruk. Sid Fernandez. Kirby Puckett. David Wells. Mo Vaughn. Colon lasted longer than all of those guys.
What five seasons? 2010 was missed and a portion of a couple others, but to grant him 5 full seasons is absurd. You could also subtract any of that for him cheating in various ways over the years.
The Braves should sign Kelly Johnson and package him with Colon to the Mets. I’m sure we could get Syndergard or Harvey
The only thing I can say is what took so long?
Mets please with Gisselman out.
I’m still amazed he was 100 pounds smaller in his rookie year
They should of kept him for bullpen help. Eat up innings in case one of their young starters gets rocked. Collmenter played a similar role last year.
“Should have”
He certainly eats up innings and any else slathered in BBQ sauce…
Convet colon to a hitter please
The Mets must re-sign Colon!!!!
Praise Cthullu!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Sounds like those questionable injections finally wore out…
I still haven’t figured out what the Mets corresponding move was when they called up Chase Bradford. Anyone?
Milone to 60-day DL is the answer
Pill optioned if you mean the 25-man move