Earlier, we learned, via The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, that veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson wants to play another year in the majors. Rosenthal has since added that fellow veteran Bartolo Colon also wants to continue his playing career in 2019.
Colon, 45, has had a rough last couple of years. In 2017, with the Braves and Twins, he posted a 6.48 ERA in 143 innings. Last season, he compiled a 5.78 ERA in 146 1/3 innings with the Rangers. According to FanGraphs, Colon’s fastball averaged a career-low 87.4 MPH in 2018. And no pitcher (min. 130 innings) gave up a higher percentage of hard contact than Colon did last year at 43.9 percent of batted balls.
Colon inked a minor league contract with the Rangers last February and will likely have to settle for another minor league deal in an attempt to continue playing. Though Colon appears to have fallen off in his mid-40’s, a rebuilding club could do worse than to bring in a seasoned veteran, even if he doesn’t ultimately end up making the 25-man roster. Colon, a fan favorite, could help mentor young pitchers.
