The Diamondbacks are showing interest in free agent starter Bartolo Colon, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark tweets. Mitch Frankel represents the veteran right-hander, who could also be an option for the Yankees.
Colon posted a 4.00 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 164 1/3 innings with the Yankees in 2011. The 38-year-old signed a minor league deal with New York last offseason and thrived at the back of the team's rotation, especially early on in the season. Colon, who didn't pitch in MLB in 2010, has been treated with stem cells from his bone marrow and fat to repair tears in his elbow and rotator cuff.
Bartolo is hungry for a chance to pitch in 2012!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I would rather they go after Rich Harden and take a chance on him than Colon. However, Colon would probably be my second choice if they really feel that they need one more veteran starter. I’m still not convinced they even need that.
I wish my Reds would take a flyer
Only on a Minor League contract.
1 year deal for 2 to 3 mil wouldn’t hurt. He provides innings and would be nice to have if an injury occurs.
We already have a starting 5 (6 if you count Chapman). Bailey is already out of options, and signing Colon would cause more problems than its worth. Signing Colon would prevent Chapman from joining the rotation, which is the current plan. This would also force Bailey to be traded/sent to the bullpen, and gurantee Chapman a bullpen spot. I’d rather bank on the upside of Bailey/Chapman in those SP innings, rather than spend 3M on a 39 year old #5 SP. Anyway, we will not sign him, so it doesn’t matter. We will probably get some depth at SP before Spring Training, but it will not be on a Major Legue contract (just like the Minor League Dontrelle Willis signing last year).
…. why???
Guessing because they don’t want Wade Miley as their #5 starter.
If anything, I would hope it would be a minor league deal. I understand wanting to have insurance just in case none of Bauer, Miley, and Skaggs are able to perform in the 5th starter slot. However, Miley did a passable job last season already, and there’s still a good chance that at the very least Bauer could be big league ready. Would hate to see us sign someone that could potentially block the Dbacks from finally getting some of their stud pitching to the bigs for another season.
1/17/2012 2:34PM. Arizona D-Backs sign Roy Oswalt to a one year, $7.5mm deal, with $1mm in incentives for innings pitched. Book it.
Sorry I don’t see it. I see maybe Kuroda. If not then maybe,Kazmir,Millwood,Pineiro or Penny trying to get back.
Kazmir? The guy is DONE.
Kuroda is too expensive.
and don’t forget, he was pitching non-stop since winter ball. If he rests up during this offseason, there shouldn’t be a problem for him to pitch a whole season.
Colon was “retired” after the 2010 season, so he wasn’t being tested. He may have tried this stem cell thing, but he was probably doing steriods non-stop all year too. He started getting tested again in the spring of 2011, so he would have had to stop some time in early 2011, which probably explains his late season decline as the effects began to wear off.
I guess if you use the word probably you don’t need facts. He probably had himself cloned figuring that his fatass would only be good for 1/2 a year and could let his clone pitch second half. Then he probably hung out in a secret cia compound ( who probably did the cloning because he probably works for them in the off season) for the second half of the season but it probably wasn’t a perfect clone and thus sucked. This year he will probably let the clone pitch the first half of the year then he will pitch second half – pitching well enough to get another contract for him and his clone. Wow probably is fun to use- much easier than facts
Great response!
Yes and no. There are ways of testing testosterone levels and while most synthetic drugs are metabolized, there are signs of steroid use, many of which can last for up to 10 years. He got a clean bill of health from MLB (outside of his stem cell procedure) I think it was just that. Fatigue caught up with him both due to age and his weight. It doesn’t mean he still can’t throw 93/94 and as the poster alluded too below, I completely agree, playing in the NL is a recipe for disaster. One swing of a bat and its game over for Colon. He’d really be a great pick up as a long man for any AL team.
maybe javier vazquez also? he always pitches good in National league
D’back already had him, they’re not going to do it again
Just Get Oswalt (and yes I realize this will cost $5 million that KT may not have, but Kendrick should spend that for a chance at an ace).
you can get get colon for next to nothing, or you can spend 5 million on a guy who isn’t effective anymore. same risk with both guys, but lower risk with colon.
Not effective? He was highly effective in September when he was healthy and throwing 96.
The main problem with Colon to any National League team is he’ll have to hit. And that friends… NOT PRETTY. In both technique and aesthetics.
If he’d be open to a bullpen role, he might last the whole season and not have to hit but a few times a year.
Just call up Skaggs or Bauer don’t waste money on a old, fat scrub…
Hardly a scrub with a 4.00 era in the al east.
They’re not ready
I wouldn’t want to risk bringing them up right away
maybe just pitch Colon the first half of the season?
Trevor Bauer and Tyler Skaggs both need at least a year more in the minors. Bauer has played a massive 25+/- 2, innings as a professional, and his skills are massive but also raw. Skaggs is still 20 years old and has looked good but is not ready for the bigs, if I were running the team he wouldn’t get a sniff till September 2013, if I hadn’t already traded him for a more proven commodity. The Diamondbacks only need serviceable in the five hole, good would be nice, but if they can put together a group of pitchers who can get a team win in a few more than half of their games the team would be happy.
Skaggs absolutely should season a bit longer in the minors. Unless he absolutely dominates to the point of “not learning anything” in the minors, I would only consider him a September call-up at best.
Bauer on the other hand, well, he does still need some seasoning. However, there’s a very good reason he nearly got brought up last year – he has very little left to prove. What he needs now is the hard knocks type of experience he’s unlikely to get at any level short of the bigs. The biggest fear I would have about bringing him up is his confidence.
Either way, I sincerely hoipe that neither one of them is traded during the season for “proven talent”. The rotation is solid enough as it is without mortgaging the future. Keep the young studs developing and use them to plug the holes that are going to be created when Cahill is moved before his $13MM season kick in and Colon or some other #5 leaves.
maybe just pitch Colon the first half of the season?
We have better options…
We have better options…
Cautiously, Bauer needs more time, but I don’t think having him start next season would be “rushing” him, he’s got three college seasons under his belt.
Ideally, at least for me, the Dbacks would have signed Kuroda then it wouldn’t be an issue, Colon would be worth it if he provided a 7 K/9 and 2-3 WAR given his likely price, not sure how realistic that is though given his age. Oswalt is a bit of an upgrade, but probably not worth the extra half a win or so. Also seems more injury-prone. I’d really like to know if there was a realistic chance of the Dbacks getting Kuroda or not this offseason, seemed like a good fit, definitely would have benefited more from signing him instead of Kubel.