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It's difficult to come up with a player who has captured Mets fans' imagination the way that Bartolo Colon has. News of Colon's one-year, $7.25 million deal was largely met with praise and, in some cases, outright jubilation.
Entering the 2015 season, Colon was one of three veteran arms in the Mets' rotation, alongside Jon Niese and Dillon Gee. Colon became the oldest pitcher in franchise history to start on Opening Day. Colon met expectations, walking just 1.11 opponents per nine innings, and finished the regular season with a 4.16 ERA. Colon didn't make the Mets' postseason rotation, but he excelled in a relief role, surrendering just two earned runs over 8.2 innings.
The affable Colon was a joy to watch from his on-field antics, from making an adventure out of each at-bat to, now infamously, going behind-the-back for a putout against the plodding Justin Bour. Colon's rotation spot in 2016 will hinge upon the return of Zack Wheeler and the health of the Mets' other starting pitchers, but for now, he should be able to find new ways to entertain Mets fans every fifth day.