Yankees Sign Bartolo Colon

[Elite]

Nine years ago, Bartolo Colon was a stud pitcher on his way to a 20-win season. As talk of relocation continued, the Montreal Expos went all in, shipping prospects Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore to Cleveland for Colon. Both Colon and Lee have won Cy Young Awards since, but Lee was this offseason's top free agent and Colon is a consolation prize for a Yankees team that has a thin rotation despite its fat checkbook.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Yankees have signed Colon to a minor league deal (Twitter link). Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Colon will earn $900K in the majors and has the right to be released if he isn't on the team after Spring Training (Twitter links).

Colon, 38 in May, last pitched in the majors for the 2009 White Sox. He started 12 games for Chicago and posted a 4.19 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 44.4% ground ball rate in 62 1/3 innings. Before that he pitched for the Red Sox, where he was effective for a seven-start stint in 2008. Colon's last standout season came in 2005, when he won the Cy Young Award for the Angels.

The Rangers, Indians, Rockies and Pirates all monitored Colon this offseason as he pitched in the Dominican Republic

MLBTR

Can't hurt I guess. They said he's been pitching well in the Spanish leagues and stuff like that.

 

[elcheato]

:mellow: lmao

 

[cruzg24]

Damn the Yankees always sign the biggest free agents every year, makes me so mad!

 

[The Guid]

^heh

Truthfully, it can't hurt too bad. Even his stats from '09 weren't terrible for a #5 guy.

 

[A.E]

Colon is supposedly in the best shape he's been in since that 20-win season.

Start printing those playoff tickets right the fuck now.

/thread

 

[The Guid]

Here's a fairly recent before and after shot

 

[elcheato]

Bartolo = more ratings on the YES network

 

[Mexi]

38?
i thought he was older