Recapping the latest R.A. Dickey News

The Mets and Blue Jays have been working on a seven player trade, including R.A. Dickey, for the last few days, and there is a good chance that it will become official tomorrow afternoon. There have been conflicting reports on the package that the Mets will be getting in return, but today we learned of the possible framework on the trade.

So, the Mets will be getting top catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud, pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, veteran backstop John Buck, and another prospect in the deal. New York will be giving up Dickey, as well as catcher Josh Thole, and a prospect.

I'll save my opinions until the trade is actually official, but I will say that this is a move that I am surprised Alderson is able to make. I thought he'd be lucky to get a Mike Olt-Leonys Martin-type of a package out of Dickey, but he is getting creative and adding more pieces to the deal. The two sides have been negotiating for quite a while, so hopefully the trade doesn't die out.

Like I said, once this trade becomes official, you can expect to see more of a response out of me. However, the Mets tend to surprise many of us, and for all we know that prospect that they are sending over could be a Wilmer Flores-Jenry Mejia type of a prospect, or a lower-tiered player such as Josh Satin, Zack Lutz or Cory Mazzoni.

The Mets have been unfair to R.A. Dickey

Throughout this entire off-season, we have heard a countless amount of trade rumors involving R.A. Dickey and teams like the Blue Jays, Rangers, and Red Sox. Since the Mets and R.A. have had trouble agreeing on an extension, a trade seems likely, and that is sad considering that the Mets are too cheap to give the man what he wants. Supposedly, the Mets originally offered Dickey a 2 yr, $14 million deal, which is completely insulting to him. When you see guys like Dan Haren making $13 million for one season, you would have to imagine that Dickey would be worth at least that much. However, the team continues to low-ball him, and it is really becoming outrageous now. 

Apparently, according to several reports, Dickey turned down a public appearance last week, which did not please Jeff Wilpon. Also, the organization is concerned about his off-the-field activities and how it may impact his performance and clubhouse presence. If you ask me, that has to be biggest bunch of crap that I have heard in a long time. Dickey is probably the most mature player on the team, and I would never doubt what he does off-the-field. I think that the Wilpon's are just making an excuse for giving him such a bad offer. Speaking of the Wilpon's, what gives them the right to go out and accuse other people of off-the-field actions? They went out and lost most of their money because of being involved in the Ponzi-scheme, so they should just shut it. 

Honestly, I don't care what the Mets' final decision is with Dickey, as long as they don't let him walk. I just want some answers, and it seems like everyday I am hearing conflicting reports about the sides being close to an extension, then others saying that the Mets are close to dealing him to another team. It isn't fair to Dickey, who has to be involved in all of this chaos, even though he is being more than fair in his extension talks. It isn't fair to us Mets fans, because it makes us even more unsure about the future of this organization, and whether Alderson is a trustworthy General Manager or just another Wilpon-suck-up. I'm tired of waiting for answers, and I think I speak for all Mets fans when I say that the Wilpon's and Alderson have done a pretty bad job in handling this whole situation. 

Should the Mets bring back Hairston?

Scott Hairston had the best season of his career in 2012, and will certainly get some respectable contract offers this winter from various teams. The Mets' outfield situation is currently a mess, meaning that if Hairston returns, then he will likely get the starting job in either right or center field. While that isn't the worst thing in the world, it is assumed that he is going to command a multi-year deal with some job security, and I am not entirely sure if the Mets are going to give it to him.

In my opinion, Hairston will get a two year deal in the range of $10-12 million. If that is correct, then I would just let him walk if I were the Mets' front office. Hairston has some flaws in his game, such as his defense and strikeout rate, so overpaying him doesn't make sense at all. Also, keep in mind that the bigger market teams -- such as the Yankees and Phillies -- are going to be involved in the sweepstakes, and they'll easily jack up the asking price out of the Mets' price range.

Alderson has clearly shown us that he is reluctant to make any multi-year moves, or moves for that matter. With that in mind I don't think the Mets are going to bring him back, and I believe that he'll take the money and run. He has been a part-time player throughout most, if not all, of his career, so it makes sense to finally cash in after a huge season. 

Greinke signs with LA, Shields traded to KC, Is Dickey the next one to go?

This entire off-season we have pretty much heard that once the big names out there start getting off the market, either by signing or via trade, then the attention would focus to R.A. Dickey. It is no secret that the Mets are shopping the reigning Cy Young award winner, but they could be more inclined to trade him now if the package they receive is anything near the vicinity of what the Rays got for Shields. 

First of all, the Royals completely overpaid for Shields. Yes, they also got Wade Davis, who is better off as a relief pitcher, but that didn't mean that they should have given up top hitting prospect Wil Myers, AND three other prospects. Shields is a nice player, but will be hitting free agency soon, and could want to leave Kansas City if they do not compete in 2013. 

With that in mind, like mentioned earlier, the focus will now be shifted to R.A. Dickey, and numerous teams, including Toronto and Texas, will be making offers for him. I personally don't want him to sign an extension, not because I question his ability to perform, rather I am thinking about what is the best for the future of this club. If he could bring back a few nice prospects, then I'd say go all in and trade him away. Teams are going to be completely overpaying for the 38 year old knuckle-baller now that he is one of the better, if not the best, pitchers on the market. 

I have heard some Mike Olt rumors, particularly talking about whether the Rangers would be willing to part with him and, lets say Leonys Martin (Outfielder prospect) to facilitate a deal. I have heard quite a bit of mixed feelings from Met fans on their interest in Olt, who would have to switch to the outfield if he came to New York. He is an asset offensively, but his defense would often be brought up in question. Martin is a young center-fielder with upside, and put up good minor league numbers as well. I would imagine that he would slide in as the club's starting center-fielder if acquired, so finding playing time wouldn't be an issue of his.

I have also heard about a lot of communication between the Mets and Blue Jays. Toronto has the neccessary pieces to make a possible trade, but it is unknown who the Mets would want. Obviously they would ask for a catcher, and J.P. Arencibia and, presumably, Travis D'Arnaud are available. Arencibia would be a good platoon partner with Thole, but D'Arnaud has more upside, meaning that the Blue Jays would be more reluctant to trade him. Luckily Toronto has plenty of outfielders, and we have heard all about how Anthony Gose could be of interest. Gose has plenty of upside, but struggled in his brief stint with Toronto last season, so his value could be a little lower right now. Also, I wouldn't mind having an Emilio Bonifacio-type player as a throw-in. The Blue Jays could also be more inclined to throw-in a player like Rajai Davis, who really has no value with the team considering that he won't get too much playing time. 

I can honestly see Dickey being dealt within the next week or two. Teams are most likely talking to Alderson as we speak, and it appears that the extension talks are going nowhere. Like I said before, I want Dickey to be traded --Assuming that the prospects are top-notch. It doesn't make sense to keep him if you are looking long-term, so if the right package comes along you need to take advantage of it.