Bartolo Colon may not look like a professional athlete, but the 44-year old pitcher is preparing to play in his remarkable 21st season after signing a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers on Monday.
The rotund right-hander known as ‘Big Sexy’ would get a $1.75 million, one-year contract if added to the 40-man roster under the terms of the deal agreed to Sunday.
‘Bartolo brings a track record of durability and success in the major leagues. He pounds the strike zone and provides quality competition for our rotation,’ Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said in a statement. ‘Welcome to Texas, Big Sexy!’
Colon has been listed at 285 pounds, but it is possible he weighs considerably more.
He was 7-14 with a 6.48 ERA in 28 starts for Atlanta and Minnesota in a difficult season last year. Colon was released by the Braves on July, then signed with the Twins and went 5-6 with a 5.18 ERA in 15 starts for them.
Colon has 240 victories in 20 seasons with 10 teams, including the Montreal Expos. In fact, Colon is the last active player to have played for the Expos, a franchise that moved to Washington and became the Nationals in 2004.
After starting his career as a hard-throwing fastballer with the Cleveland Indians, Colon has been defined by his ability to adjust as he’s gotten older. His four-seam fastball is no longer clocked around 95 mph, so Colon relies heavily on the slower two-seam fastball, as well as a changeup and a slider. And because of his excellent control, Colon typically has one of the lower walk rates in baseball, even if that does mean leaving a few too many pitches over the plate.
Interestingly, the native of the Dominican Republic has posted 21 wins against Texas, the most by any pitcher. He’s also a four-time All-Star who won the 2005 AL Cy Young Award with the Angels.
Texas was 78-84 last year. Rangers pitchers and catchers are set to hold their first spring workout February 15 in Surprise, Arizona.
Ichiro Suzuki, the longtime Seattle Mariners outfielder who is enjoying a second life as a pinch-hitting defensive replacement, is also 44 but remains a free agent. He is also considering a return to Japan, where he remains a national icon.
Ichiro hit .255 for the Miami Marlins last season, adding three home runs and scoring 19 runs in 196 at-bats.