Bartolo Colon Mulling Retirement After Signing Contract with Minnesota Twins

Baseball fans should appreciate Bartolo Colon while they still can because the 44-year-old right-hander is weighing retirement, ESPN.com's Marly Rivera reported Wednesday. 

Colon is scheduled to start the Minnesota Twins' clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, and according to Rivera, his performance on the mound may impact his decision to retire.

The 44-year-old has become a cult hero for many MLB fans, but no amount of goodwill can cover up how poorly he has pitched this season.

The Atlanta Braves designated him for assignment after he went 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA in 13 starts. In his first appearance for the Twins on Tuesday, he allowed four earned runs in four innings in a 6-3 defeat to the New York Yankees.

High Heat Stats tweeted about the loss:

To some extent, Colon has been the victim of bad luck. According to FanGraphs, opposing hitters are batting .368 on balls in play—the highest BABIP of his career—and he has a 4.86 FIP and 4.88 xFIP.

If Colon's future does hinge on his next start, then his retirement may come sooner rather than later. Los Angeles doesn't present a favorable matchup for Colon and the Twins. The Dodgers have scored the fifth-most runs in MLB (480), and they're third in team slugging percentage (.450).