Report: Mets' Colon available via trade

The New York Mets have reportedly made 41-year-old right-hander Bartolo Colon available in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, according to ESPN's Adam Rubin.

Though the Mets remain seven games back of a wild-card berth, the club boasts an "excess" of starting pitching, as Rubin notes, that prompted general manager Sandy Alderson to make Colon available.

Colon, who signed a two-year, $20-million deal with the Mets in December, owns a 3.99 ERA (88 ERA+) with a 1.18 WHIP through 18 starts this season. A three-time All-Star, Colon has crafted a tidy 2.74 ERA over his last 10 outings and possesses a 3.4 percent walk rate this season, the third-best mark among qualified starters.

The Mets are not yet believed to be engaged in serious talks about Colon, and it is not a foregone conclusion that he will be dealt, but a major league source predicted dialogue would increase in the next week.