Former Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon isn’t ready to retire yet

Former New York Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon is hoping to pitch again in 2020 starting with a minor league deal this spring.

Bartolo Colon may be 46-years-old, but he’s not ready to call it quits on his MLB career just yet. The former New York Mets pitcher is reportedly hoping to snatch a minor league contract this spring with the hopes of making it back to the show at some point in 2020.

There aren’t too many athletes as universally beloved in sports as Colon—at least not over the last ten years. His time with the Mets from 2014-2016 helped to further rewrite a career tainted by a PED suspension. And even despite an illegitimate child on his resume, the big burly starting pitcher is somewhat of a folk hero in baseball circles.

In three years with the Mets, Colon went 44-34 with a 3.90 ERA. He cracked the 2016 All-Star roster thanks in large part to a selection by his manager, Terry Collins.

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Unfortunately, for Colon, the 2016 campaign was his final productive year in the big leagues. He had an ERA of 8.14 in 13 starts with the Atlanta Braves in 2017 before turning things around to a degree with a 5.18 ERA in 15 starts with the Minnesota Twins.

Colon wasn’t done after this poor showing. He returned in 2018 as a member of the Texas Rangers. Things weren’t much better. In 24 starts and another 4 relief appearances, the veteran hurler was 7-12 with a 5.78 ERA.

Colon’s expectations are at least realistic. A minor league deal is the best he could hope for after sitting out all of 2018.

He’s also not just focused on playing in North America. In the same report from Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, Colon may find his way to a professional roster in Mexico or even Japan.

Personally, I would love to see him in Japan for at least a year. The endorsement deals and creative advertising campaigns would be fun to see come over from the Far East.

It’s hard to believe Colon spent just three seasons with the Mets. In that time, he gave us one of the classic moments in recent franchise history with his 2016 home run in San Diego. It was one of the biggest swings over the century for a Mets player which is equally as much fun to realize as it is sad.

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If Tim Tebow can find a spot on a minor league roster, it’s hard to believe Colon won’t get at least an opportunity to compete this March. Look for Big Bart to come to a Triple-A city near you sometime this summer.