Bartolo Colon may be leaving the beloved Mets, but he will stay in the NL East. His new deal with the Atlanta Braves is worth $12.5 million for the 2017 season. The former Cy Young winner is 43-years-old and overweight, but he still managing to excel. Like R.A. Dickey, Bartolo is to be a veteran fixture atop the rotation to eat up innings and be a mentor in the locker room. However, Colon brings more star power to Atlanta than Dickey does.
Even Hall of Fame pitchers saw drops in their numbers as they aged and, but Bartolo is an exception. From 1998-2005 Colon performed spectacularly, but then seemed to disappear until he reemerged in 2012 with Oakland. Quite incredibly, the veteran right-hander recorded an ERA+ (adjustment of the pitcher’s ERA to league and park factors, 100 is league average) of 119.
Even during his younger years Bartolo was never a power pitcher, so he has to dominate with consistency. Even his Cy Young year with the Angels didn’t have consistency numbers like Bartolo’s 2016 campaign. He lead the NL in BB/9 at 1.5, as well as last season at 1.1. Bartolo’s WHIP was also astonishing coming out to 1.210. The Braves are hoping that Colon can continue on with his brilliance in 2017.
As history prevails, the right hander will most likely pitch in quality for 60% of his starts. He will also bring quite the personality to the Braves new clubhouse at Suntrust Park. $12.5 million may be a little expensive for a 43-year-old ball player, but considering the market, and the Braves need for solidified starting pitching, this was a hell of a sneaky signing.
