Why the New York Mets should bring “Big Sexy” back

May 31, 2018 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

The 2018 New York Mets cannot catch a break. When their pitching is lights out, the offense can’t buy a hit. Vice versa when the Mets offensive has has momentary spurts in this campaign it has been promptly followed by poor starts or bullpen implosions. To top it off the injury plague that has lingered around Flushing in recent years has claimed most of the team’s top talent including most recently Noah Syndergaard.

With the Mets trading the former superhero of Gotham in Matt Harvey to Cincinnati, the Mets rotation after Jacob deGrom has been more abysmal then Labor Day traffic. With all of the problems the Mets have had in the rotation the team could use an inning eater in the rotation and they could look into bringing back a fan favorite to a demoralized fan base. The New York Mets should trade for Bartolo “Big Sexy” Colon.

Colon was productive in his three seasons with the Mets going 44-34 and helping the team reach the World Series (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

On the surface it shouldn’t be too difficult. The Rangers are off the a abysmal start and have Colon on a reasonable one year $ 1.75 Million deal. Colon would benefit from pitching in the National league again and more importantly save a bullpen that has been overworked in the beginning of this season. With five of his nine starts for the Rangers going over seven innings, Colon is perfect for the backend of this Mets rotation that has been plagued by short starts all season.

Colon would be an immediate improvement behind deGrom and Syndeergaard. Take a look at how Colon compares the the Mets three through five starters in the rotation.

	W	L	IP	ERA	GS	WHIP	GS > 7 IP
Colon	2	2	63.1	3.55	9	0.93	5
Wheeler	2	4	50	5.4	9	1.48	1
Matz	2	3	45.2	3.55	10	1.27	0
Vargas	2	3	25.1	8.53	6	1.85	0

Colon has more starts over seven innings then these three combined while also having over 13 additional innings pitched to the next closest state. On top of that, he would own the best WHIP on the team and be tied has a far better ERA then both Wheeler and Vargas.

The Mets would be bringing back not only a player that has a proven track record in New York, but a fan favorite

Even though the Mets probably would not move Vargas to the bullpen given the massive contract he signed in the offseason, the Mets could try to turn Wheeler into a reliever which could push his 94.77 fastball average a few ticks higher being in a shorter role. The team tried this with Harvey, but Wheeler could benefit from shorter appearances in games and it has helped both Gsellman and Lugo become key pieces of the Mets bullpen.

Seeing what the ageless wonder is doing in the American League and what would be a low asking price, it makes sense for the Mets bring back Bartolo Colon and put him in the backend of the rotation. In a perfect world, if the Mets have five healthy starters Colon has proven that he can be a versatile reliever out of the pen if the Mets can get Wheeler, Matz, and Vargas healthy and pitching up to their potential.

In the short-term though, Colon instantly improves the back end of the rotation, but also has handled the pressure in the Big Apple and who would be a great influence in the locker room.

With the current state of the Mets rotation, it only makes sense for New York to bring Big Sexy back.

Mets break record! Most cheesesteaks eaten!

June 2, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Now we know where Colon’s belly came from

The Mets are victorious! They are record breakers! They are cheese steak connoisseurs? On April 30th the Mets broke the record for most cheese steaks devoured by a team in one day at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Mets ate 103, yes 103 cheese steaks during the rain delay and postponed game that day. They may not win in the standings, but watch out for these Mets in the buffet line. I guess we now the mystery of one of the biggest Mets questions of 2014. What is in Bartolo Colon’s tummy? If anyone was wondering why the Metropolitans maybe moving slower these days, I think we can thank the cheese steaks for that. Maybe that’s why they played so many innings this past weekend. To have more time to chow down. The Mets broke the unofficial record of 80 by a wide margin, but this might have only been the appetizer. Who knows? If the team is out of contention in August they might forget about the game on the field and try to reach to 120 mark. One thing is for sure, if Terry Collins takes his team to Pizza Hut after the game, that’s going to be one New York size bill.

Targets Acquired: 5 players Mets should target

May 30, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Giancarlo Stanton:
Wishful thinking? maybe not

This may seem like a pipe dream, but if we’ve learned anything about the Marlins it’s that they are always looking to deal. What makes this trade more probable is that not only are both teams struggling, but they have needs that the other can help with. The Marlins need young arms, and the Mets need a big bat. The price tag for Stanton would be huge, but with his presence in the lineup the Mets could finally have a major league quality lineup. It won’t be cheap, but it maybe worth the high sticker price.
Josh Zeid:
Relief for Mets terrible pen

While not a household name, Zeid is a young relief pitcher who could greatly improve the Mets middle relief. With the crowded Astros bullpen and despite a very good season, Zeid has bounced between the majors and Triple A. A solid reliever whose career 3.89 era and good stuff out of the bullpen could bring some stability to the Mets woeful relief pitching. A small risk, big reward type of target.
Luis Sardinas
A shortstop finally?

The Mets shortstop position has been a revolving door since Jose Reyes was let go. Sardinas maybe a year or two away, but Texas already has a great shortstop and could use a pitcher for a postseason run. Bartolo Colon could be a nice trading piece to bring in a great fielding shortstop. While he may not have a lot of power, Sardinas is a great fielder whose speed could transition nicely into a leadoff or top of the order hitter in Flushing.
Joc Pederson :
Outfielder who can make an impact in 2014

The Mets outfield is still a mess. Despite his numbers including 15 home runs in the minors already in 2014, Pederson is blocked by a slew of outfielders in the majors. He could be a five tool player and with the Dodgers already crowded outfield could become a nice piece for the Mets. It may take a few good pieces in a trade to get Pederson, but he could be a great cornerstone with Juan Lagares in the Mets outfield for the next decade.
John Ryan Murphy
A crosstown catcher with major league potential

The Mets making a deal with the Yankees may seem unlikely, but if it were to happen Murphy would be a great return. With the struggles of d’Arnaud at the plate and staying on the field, it would be nice to get an insurance policy. With McCann already the starting catcher, and a plethora of catchers including Gary Sanchez behind him, Murphy could be moved. Once again Bartolo Colon to the Yankees maybe a good move for the Mets. Murphy is hitting .357 as a backup and has shown very good defense behind the plate. Best case scenario is that he can become the Mets starting catcher, worst case a great backup whose bat could be vital off the bench or if the Mets need him to fill in as a third baseman or outfielder. Who do you think the Mets should target or be looking to move? Comment and follow below!

Times Up! Why Sandy Alderson must be fired

May 27, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Sandy Alderson needs to be fired

Meet the mess! Meet the mess! Opponents step on up and beat the Mets! Sandy Alderson needs to be fired by the New York Mets as he has driven this proud franchise further into the abyss. Many people will argue that his failings are not completely his fault, evidenced by the penny-pinching Wilpons whose finances have been in tatters since the Bernie Madoff scandal. Ownership is a major part of the problem, but unfortunately the Wilpons have been adamant about not selling the team. In his four years as the general manager the Mets have been an embarrassment. The Mets under Alderson have a 247-289 record after the Memorial Day weekend.

Why does Sandy need to go? There has to be a shakeup to show that losing is no longer acceptable. Despite the money problems, the Mets still have an above average payroll and had money to spend this past offseason. Once again, Alderson did little to improve this team. I won’t even go into the embarrassing state of the Mets bullpen during Alderson’s tenure. It’s been a joke. Look, I understand that the Mets do not have the Yankees money and also believe that developing prospects is the best way to improve but the Mets have failed completely in both regards. They have not spent money, and if they have unwisely, or developed good young players. Let’s look back at Alderson’s track record.

Fixing the Mets bullpen? Something that every year Alderson says he is going to do but come April Mets’ fans start praying the second Terry Collins comes to take the ball from the starter. One word, disaster. Bringing in pieces through free agency? If anything the Mets have lost more pieces in free agency then gained. They lost Jose Reyes, a great homegrown piece and waited until the past offseason to open the checkbook. While I did like the Granderson and Colon signings, those were the only two good signing the Mets made. They did not bring in a short stop or capable relievers and instead spent 7.5 million dollars on Chris Young? Chris Young? Seriously? Alderson, Shin Soo Choo and Stephen Drew were available at reasonable prices. Young is an overrated player and has been outplayed by Bobby Abreu who will probably be playing shuffle board in Florida next year.

Despite their failure in free agency, the big reason Alderson should be fired is because of his failure to develop young talent. When he was hired that was what he sold Mets fans. He may not be a proactive member in free agency but he sold Mets fans that he would build through prospects. What has he done? Matt Harvey was drafted in the former regime and he’s the only excitement the Mets have experienced in the past four years. Zach Wheeler? A lot of upside but has been spinning his wheels in the majors. Travis d’Arnaud? He’s struggled with injury and hitting as an everyday player. Noah Syndergaard? May need tommy john surgery. While the starting pitching has been a strength there are no major leaguers in terms of everyday players that can contribute. Lucas Duda and Ike Davis have been a disaster at first, there is no shortstop, and the outfield has been such a disaster that the government should be sending the Mets funds.

Looking back at Alderson’s tenure the biggest failure was the mishandling of Jose Reyes. Alderson had two scenarios. Sign Reyes long-term or trade him for prospects. That failure not only left the Mets without their dynamic home-grown shortstop, but also without pieces that could be helping them in the present.

Alderson has not built this team the Wright way

The Mets are a disaster, plain and simple. Not only has Alderson failed to change the roster, but more importantly the culture. The Mets were losers when Alderson arrived and are still losers. In a city with so much passion for its sports teams, mediocrity is not acceptable. New York needs a change. Not only should Alderson be shown the door, but also Terry Collins. Collins deserves much less of the blame, but this organization needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom. That also means the owners, although that will probably never happen. Hey New Yorkers! Are there any billionaires interested in a franchise? Please buy the Mets we need a savior! Ok that was a hail mary, but the Mets should be completely overhauled. Start spending money on players and focus on finding everyday players who can contribute. The Mets may not be any closer to the postseason since Alderson took over, but if they want to take a step forward instead of back tracking into obscurity, he needs to go.

The Mets can hire and fire staff and bring in new players, but the most important thing that the Mets need to bring back to their fans the most important thing any professional franchise needs, hope.