Minnesota Twins: Team signs Bartolo Colon to Minor League deal

The Minnesota Twins look to bolster their pitching staff by signing veteran starting pitcher Bartolo Colon. The Twins hope to find value in the veteran cast off.

In the middle of their game against the Baltimore Orioles Friday night, the Minnesota Twins broke the news of the signing of Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal.

As you can see, Twitter has already proven what headline gold the signing of “Big Sexy” can be.

Colon became available after he was released by the Atlanta Braves on July 4th. From there Colon and his 2-8 record and 8.14 ERA were free to shop for a new team. His release was a clear signal that his pitching is not quite like it was earlier in his career. The type of stuff that helped him to win (steal?) the 2005 Cy Young over other pitchers such as Johan Santana.

Normally the signing of a former Cy Young Pitcher signals a move that will have a significant and positive impact on the field. Unfortunately, the signing of Colon might bring more significance in the comedic marketing possibilities than baseball results. It appears the Rochester Red Wings are already able to capitalize on marketing him with their Rochester Plates promotion:

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At this point in his career, Colon is a lottery ticket for the Twins. It is another attempt to fill out those final spots on the pitching staff with a competent pitcher. Other recent examples of this type of signing include guys like Dillon Gee and Nick Tepesch. The only difference is Colon has a much better past than those guys. Although, his 2017 has provided a similar performance to those “AAAA” arms the team has tried.

It will be interesting to see how Colon moves through AAA and if/when he makes it to the majors. At this point, Colon’s ERA of 3.43 from last season would be very welcomed by the current staff. In fact, his career 4.02 ERA would rank as the third-best ERA on the Twins’ starting staff. This team desperately needs starters who can pitch 6 or 7 innings into a game, helping out a thin bullpen and giving those arms a lighter load. If Colon provides that, the team will have truly found a diamond in the rough.

Next: July 8th Daily Dip

“Big Sexy” is coming, Minnesota. From an entertainment standpoint, it is disappointing that Colon won’t have many opportunities to swing his bat in a Twins uniform. That will be OK if the entertainment he provides is pitching that can be labeled “decent” or “reliable” or “inning eating.” If he can do those things, Twins fans will likely be rewarded with Colon’s fun personality and an improved on-field product.