Bartolo Colon is now the last active player to ever suit up for the Montreal Expos.
Maicer Izturis, who played 32 games for Montreal in 2004, announced his retirement Friday morning, leaving the lovable New York Mets hurler standing on his own in Expos lore.
Coming off a strong first half with the Cleveland Indians, Colon was famously traded to Montreal in 2002 just prior to the trade deadline in what would be one of the most lopsided trades in recent baseball history.
| EXPOS RECEIVE | INDIANS RECEIVE |
|---|---|
| Bartolo Colon | Lee Stevens |
| Tim Drew | Brandon Phillips |
| Grady Sizemore | |
| Cliff Lee |
Colon went 10-4 with a 3.31 ERA after being acquired by the Expos, but it wasn't enough to propel the 83-79 club into the postseason.
Phillips, Sizemore, and Lee - who were prospects at the time - later developed into perennial All-Stars, souring the short-term gratification of adding Colon, who was quickly dealt to the Chicago White Sox before the 2003 season.
The Expos then relocated to Washington for the 2005 season, leaving the Toronto Blue Jays as the only team north of the border.
Montreal was recently snubbed by Vladimir Guerrero, who said he intends to enter the Hall of Fame with a Los Angeles Angels cap if he's voted in. Vladdy earned four All-Star nods to quickly establish himself as the face of the franchise while playing eight seasons for the Expos.
