PED use or not, Stem Cell technology, and who knows what else has aided Colon’s body over the last 3 seasons of success. Yes he was 18 – 6, with a 2.65 ERA – finishing 6th in AL Voting, however the A’s went and paid someone else to fill his spot (Scott Kazmir), and usually they are not wrong on guys. The 40 Year Old from Dominican Republic, is also a gigantic man who decimated his hamstring during a routine PFP  in 2011 with the Yankees. You have to think his lucky streak is numbered sooner or later.  Whether it is another failed drug test, or he blows out a ligament running anything down, or just has father time come down on him, signing this man to a 2 YR deal, for a team not probably contending in 2014, is downright absurd.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21

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‘Stoking The Fire’ – Week 9

The Mets are like a gambling addict that has been clean for a few years, before suffering a serious relapse.

This club is just coming off a season where they doled out $18 MIL for Jason Bay (who they released – and still owe $3 MIL in 2014) and Johan Santana ($25.5 MIL and a $5 MIL Buyout for 2014).

These are guys that never played for you during the 2013 season.  Oh yeah…They still contribute annually to the Bobby Bonilla ‘liquor fund’ – thanks to a long restructured contract from many moons ago.

So now that they have altered their club to don a new era of “Strike out Champs”, they have gone overboard in throwing down a 2 YR/$20 MIL contract for a 300 LB PED user like Bartolo Colon.

“It Was A Little More Than Stem Cell Technology”

Mike Piazza was stellar in the 2000 playoff run for the Mets, collecting 4 HRs and driving in 8 RBI in just 39 AB between the NLCS and World Series of that year. He was clutch, hit big HRs, survived the New York Media with grace and his endearing personality, should see his number retired by the Mets one day. This man was one of the best acquisitions made in the last 20 years by the franchise, in what has become a risk – plagued trading and signing organization. New York signed to him a 7 YR/$91 MIL deal after trading for him in the 1998 season.  He earned every dollar on that deal, and the club also knew when to cut ties with him.

Hey Mets, the A’s GM Billy Beane had a movie made about him for a reason.  That guy actually signed your former Draft Pick in Scott Kazmir to a 2 YR/$22 MIL – in order to replace the ‘BULLFROG‘ you just inked to a 2 year deal.

There is no doubt that Colon has held off father time during the last 2 campaigns, but I will bet you a free tattoo that this guy suffers a brutal injury under your watch.

Don’t even worry about this from a pitching perspective.  I mean everyone remembers him blowing out his ‘hammy’ covering 1st base in 2011 with the Yankes.

Non – athletic that is what Colon is (no pun intended), but guess what fellas….he has to hit for your team – maybe 2 – 3 times a game.  Good luck with that!

I am not sure if he could get to 1st – even if he roped one into the canyon that is your outfield at Citi Field.

It is all fine and dandy to show you can spend money – but not if it is stupid.

Nobody expects you to compete in 2014, so a gamble on somebody like Colon is not bright.  Why not sign a few guys for a long term deal, that will be there when you can compete?

That is now $32.25 MIL in 2014 payroll on 3 players – who are extremely risky business in Colon, Young and Granderson.

You are dreaming if you don’t think that man is spinning some kind of illegal magic that is not detected by the MLB.

Your offseason just went from serving your fanbase hor d’oeuvres of ‘dumb’ to a full smorgasbord of it now – courtesy of the management.

I don’t blame your Flushing Meadows faithful, they have long had to endure this multitude of crap.  You have some of the most loyal fans there is in baseball.

They should all be commended for supporting the club.  Unlike other teams fans, they also don’t hide from their teams struggle via radio or other social form.  They are present, loud and accountable.

It would be nice if the brass would do the same in reverse!

As a kid growing up in Virginia, our closest teams were the Braves and the Orioles, so I was able to see a few games a year in both Fulton County Stadium and Memorial Stadium/Camden Yards.

I was able to see both of the NL and AL clubs if I wanted.  A lot of the time, I wanted to see the Mets, when they had guys like Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden.

The NL New York organization was once one of the best run teams during that span.

After that great team disbanded in the early 90’s, it took a while for the club to get a guy like Mike Piazza, before David Wright took the reigns from him.

The Mets saw a shell of Bay’s former self in his 3 years of 2010 – 2012. He only hit .234 with 26  HRs and drove in 124 RBI in 986 AB. He battled several injuries in his Mets stint.  That is horrible production from a guy who was signed to a 4 YR/$64 MIL based on a year hitting a Fenway Park.

Sandwiched in the middle are guys (and after that), were signed at the wrong time: Mo Vaughn, Luis Castillo, Bret Saberhagen, Robbie Alomar, Bobby Bonilla, Shawn Green, Carlos Delgado, Oliver Perez, Jason Bay and Johan Santana.

After a season in 2008. where he led the NL in Walks (105) – and saw his ERA start creeping up 4.22 – with a WHIP of 1.402, the Mets bid against themselves, signing the Lefty to a brutal 3 YR/$36 MIL deal. He rewarded the club with 3 – 9 record, with a near 7 ERA and 2 WHIP over the course of 2 seasons afterward. New York released the guy prior to the 2011 year – despite having to pay him $12 MIL for the campaign.

If you look back in their history of players, a lot of guys had better careers elsewhere after leaving, or before coming to them too.

Guys like Jeff Kent and Melvin Mora looked promising with the club, only to have been shipped off for horrible trades that brought back a rapidly declining tandem of Carlos Baerga and Mike Bordick for the assets in return.

The Mets were even able to stop Carlos Beltran in his prime, before seeing a recent renaissance with the Cardinals.

Of course we all know that Willie Mays ended his illustrious career with the New York Mets.

The Mets paid over $45 MIL (over 50% of their 2013 payroll) to guys who never played for them – due to Buyouts or injury. Maybe the 2013 winter signings won’t face a similar fate.  Agreeing with Colon, Granderson and Young has tempted the same result.

Tom Glavine was on his last legs of his career with the Mets in 2007, before being trounced on the last day of the regular season.  New York coughed up a NL East Division lead of 7.5 Games in the last 17 days of Sept.

The Mets also signed the wrong Matsui out of Japan, as he made off with $21 MIL of the clubs cash – putting up a .670 OPs – while the Yankees paid out Hideki Matsui went on to have a .852 OPS – and many fruitful years with the NY Yankees – including a .933 OPS in 56 Career Playoff Games..

“Godzilla” only made $1 MIL more in his 1st 3 years of his contract, and massively outperformed his countryman.

The only thing the club has seemed to do right, was let the Yankees pay Pedro Feliciano for the 2011 – 2012 years of not playing, after you abused the guy for appearances the previous 3 years to that.

Signing Curtis Granderson was a decent move, but it looks way shakier now with the addition of Colon, and also being after paying $7.25 MIL to Chris B. Young.

Please note, we had to add the B. because the other Chris R. Young (SP from 2011 – 2012 with the club) – has potentially joined many others who have seen their career end in a Mets uniform.

I can’t wait to see what is next from the brass.

Wright had definitely been the best Mets Draft over the last several years and decades. Reupping with him on for several more years with their Captain was a smart and calculated move. The rest of the transactions before and after him haven’t been so peachy yet.  Sandy Alderson was running things better over the last few years, in picking up Zack Wheeler, Travis d’Arnaud and prospect Noah Syndergaard foe the departing Carlos Beltran and R.A. Dickey, both of whom were slated to be Free Agents soon.  However this club is regressing in this winter, and I only foresee more problems in the distant horizon.  Mets fans better hope I am wrong, and that this team can still sign some players for 2015, when Matt Harvey is coming back to the team from Tommy John Surgery.

For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries Posts that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here.

A big thank-you goes out to Our ‘Chief Writer‘ Hunter Stokes for preparing today’s featured article.  Hunter is a Baseball Writer for MLB reports.

Hunter grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia and played baseball with Sheldon Bream (Sid Bream‘s son) at Liberty University in the NCAA.

His favorite player is Brian Wilson (how could you guess?), and he hates when people can’t think outside the box! 

His favorite expression – is ‘ this At Bat is about ten seconds away from a Toe – Tag!

You can reach Hunter on Twitter  Follow @stokes_hunter21

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