Mets sign 40-year-old Bartolo Colon for two years, $20 million

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Mets have agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal with Bartolo Colon.

Colon going from out of baseball in 2010 to throwing 507 innings with a 3.32 ERA over the past three seasons is a remarkable story, especially considering he was 38 years old when the comeback began.

Now he’s 40 and coming off a 2.65 ERA in 30 starts for the A’s, but Colon’s secondary numbers are far less impressive. He managed just 117 strikeouts in 190 innings and essentially now just pumps low-90s fastballs for strikes and relies on good defense behind him.

Don’t expect him to post another sub-3.00 at age 40–or at age 41 in 2015–but at this point $8-$10 million per season is the going rate for a decent veteran starter and his market was strong enough that a multi-year commitment was needed to get a deal done.

Meanwhile, the A’s essentially replaced Colon in the rotation by signing Scott Kazmir to a two-year, $22 million deal.

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A number of teams are making calls about Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson these days, as is the general nature of the offseason. Per Jason Kinander of FanSided, there have been some preliminary trade discussions between the Dodgers and the White Sox, though a formal deal doesn’t appear imminent and any potential competition from other clubs is still unknown.

Pederson, 26, has enjoyed quite a run with the Dodgers over the last five years. A perennial 25-home run hitter (when healthy), he slashed .248/.321/.522 with 56 RBI, an .843 OPS, and 2.7 fWAR through 443 plate appearances during the 2018 regular season. Following the Dodgers’ unsuccessful postseason campaign, Pederson agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract in advance of the arbitration deadline, and is currently slated to remain under team control through the 2020 season.

Despite his relative affordability and clear value to the club, shedding Pederson from their roster would allow the Dodgers to pursue the kind of right-handed hitters they need to balance out their 2019 lineup. It’s not certain what the White Sox are prepared to give up, but Kinander mentions right-hander Carson Fulmer, lefty reliever Aaron Bummer, and recent draft pick/third baseman Bryce Bush as a few possibilities.