Mets five best free agent starting pitcher signings of all-time

The New York Mets have added some notable starting pitchers via free agency. Who are the five best?

The New York Mets have been (mostly) consistent with developing pitchers in their farm system. In many of their trips to the World Series, they did it on the backs of homegrown starting pitching.

Not all of the greatest Mets pitchers first put on an orange and blue uniform after serving time in the team’s minor league system. The five we’re going to cover here all joined the Mets via free agency.

Excluded from this list is Tom Seaver. The GOAT of the franchise, while a free agent, was an amateur signing. We’re only going to include those with professional experience.

5) Bartolo Colon

When the Mets signed Bartolo Colon before the 2014 season, I’m not sure anyone thought he would give us so many memorable members. Over the next three seasons, Colon became a human highlight reel. They weren’t always the most flattering images. However, his on-field production definitely exceeded any expectations.

Despite already living 40 years on this planet, Colon had plenty of baseball left in him. During his time with the Mets he went 44-34 with a 3.90 ERA. In 2016, he even managed to earn an All-Star selection.

Colon was never the staff’s ace, but there’s something to say about his presence among all of the youngsters. He was a steady member of the starting pitching staff while Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and others grew into stars.

Technically, Colon could be on this list twice. He first signed a two-year deal then added a third year after the 2015 campaign. To keep things simple, let’s just add his name on here once.

A beloved member of the organization, the Colon free agent signing paid off much more than I think anyone anticipated.