According to multiple Mets officials, there is essentially a 55 percent chance that R.A. Dickey is on the Mets by Opening Day, Joel Sherman reports in this morning’s New York Post.
Sherman lays out the scenario as the following:
“The Mets have told Dickey what they are willing to do in a contract extension. They have told teams interested in acquiring Dickey the types of players necessary to obtain him. Neither the Dickey camp nor another club has yet to go to the level established by the Mets. First one that does wins. If no one blinks, the Mets have … Dickey on a bargain $5 million contract in 2013, from which they can revisit extending him or dealing him at any time.”
Sherman believes the Mets will set aside extending or trading Dickey by Christmas, according to a team source, so they can move on with other plans, knowing Dickey is still signed to a one-year, $5 million deal.
Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com:
Sandy Alderson is playing this right, especially with so many teams looking for a front-end starting pitcher (specifically the Rangers, Royals and Blue Jays). I’ve been saying it for weeks, others have been saying it for weeks, because it’s clear: The only way the Mets move Dickey is if they’re overwhelmed in a deal. It’s not news, it’s not groundbreaking. It’s obvious, because it’s the only way to play it…
The only reason to rush a decision on Dickey would be to move on other items in limbo, like signing a free-agent bat and reliever, trading for a catcher, and maybe replacing Dickey or Jon Niese if they end up being traded. I’m sure the Mets expected other teams to be more active, I’m sure they hoped Zack Greinke, Josh Hamilton and others would have signed by now, thus opening up markets a bit more. That hasn’t happened, so everyone (not just the Mets) are just talking, making lists and sitting in waiting mode…
The thing is, at the very least, the Mets get to bring back a Cy Young Award winner in 2013 making just $5 million. Or, they sign him to an equally reasonable extension, knowing they can revisit contract and trade talks next summer. Or, they trade him now for a young bat, who they project to be more valuable than Dickey will be during the next three years.
There’s really no bad situation here, just less good, and there’s no need to rush it.
Sandy Alderson said today he’s met with R.A. Dickey’s agent in Nashville, but negotiations are ongoing and it remains to be seen if a gap in contract talks can be bridged, which you can read more about here.
In short, it seems the two sides agree on years not money.
“There is something longer term that would appeal to us and something shorter term,” Dickey’s agent told ESPN New York.
Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, reports have linked the Dodgers, D-Backs, Royals, Blue Jays, Rockies, Red Sox, Orioles, Nationals, Rangers and Brewers as all having some level of interest in acquiring Dickey before a contract extension is worked out.
Earlier today, MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone said the Mets are asking for at least two top prospects, including your team’s best hitting prospect, and maybe a back-up catcher, in a possible deal for Dickey.
“The Mets will have legit trade offers to pick over,” a source with knowledge of the situation told Cerrone, despite the Rays being in the market for a similar young bat and offering James Shields in the deal.
In the event Alderson decides to make a trade, keep a close eye on the Rangers, a good source told Andy Martino of the Daily News today.
On the other hand, Brewers GM Doug Melvin said he talked to the Mets about Dickey, but before exchanging names the two sides determined there wasn’t a match, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Similarly, talks between the Mets and Royals are ‘dead,’ if Alderson wants top hitting prospect Wil Myers for Dickey, Bob Dutton reports for the Kansas City Star. Earlier today, ESPN’s Adam Rubin said the Mets have been pursuing Myers, according to multiple sources.
Nevertheless, according to CBS Sports.com’s Jon Heyman, the Angels, Dodgers, Indians, Mariners, PIrates, Royals, Rangers, Cubs, Twins, Tigers, Orioles, Blue Jays, D-Backs and Red Sox are all in the market for a starting pitcher.
In the end, though the Mets may say they’d like a resolution to Dickey’s situation ASAP, they realize it may need to wait until they get back to New York, according to Andy Martino of the Daily News.
Sandy Alderson said today he’s met with R.A. Dickey’s agent in Nashville, but negotiations are ongoing and it remains to be seen if a gap in contract talks can be bridged.
“We’ve always said we’d like to sign R.A., the preference remains to sign him,” Alderson said. However, “You can only keep things on the table for so long.”
According to Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio, Dickey is seeking to void his option for 2013 and replace it with a three-year $45 million deal << click to tweet this. Andy Martino of the Daily News disagrees, saying Dickey is still just seeking a two-year extension worth less than $29 million.
MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone said last week that Dickey can be locked up for the next three years at around $25 million.
“In terms of years and structure we’re agreeable on multiple structures,” Dickey’s agent, Bo McKinnis said today, according to Newsday. “It’s just a matter of getting the dollars right.”
It’s said that Sandy Alderson would like to resolve R.A. Dickey’s situation ASAP, according to Andy Martino of the Daily News, but instead he’s likely to take the week weighing trade offers and make a decision back in New York.
Dec. 4, 11:25 am: The Mets asking price for Dickey has been ‘sky high,’ according to a recent tweet from the New York Post’s Joel Sherman.
Dec. 4, 10:42 am: In his morning blog post, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney says:
“Alderson seems to be taking the same approach that he did in the Carlos Beltran talks 17 months ago. He’s making the rounds, setting the asking price – and as time goes on, he’ll be in position to gradually go down the ladder in his demands with a series of teams (the Royals, Blue Jays and Rangers among them) until somebody says yes.”
In the last 24 hours, reports have linked the Dodgers (MLB.com), D-Backs (Martino), Royals and Blue Jays (Jim Duquette), Rockies (FoxSports) Red Sox (ESPN Boston), Orioles and Nationals (Heyman), and the Rangers and Brewers (Ken Davidoff) as all having some level of interest in Dickey.
Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com:
Dec. 4, 10:50 am: This isn’t complicated. The Mets have a unique Cy Young Award winner, with a one-year, $5 million contract (as well as a young, left-handed pitcher with a reasonable contract in Jon Niese) and they’re listening to offers in an effort to get more young hitters on their team – something they desperately need. It doesn’t mean they’re going to trade Dickey (or Niese), but they will in the right deal.
In the meantime, they’re getting information on how teams value R.A and Jon., what they’re willing to part with, and once they’ve created a market (and other players sign with new teams, increasing demand for starting pitching) the Mets will make a decision on whether to trade Dickey, trade Niese, sign Dickey or do nothing. If this happens today, OK. If it happens next week, that’s fine to…
In the next week, either before he’s dealt or extended, we’re going to see countless reports and tweets with sources saying he could get moved and sources saying he will stay. I probably won’t link to or post every source’s opinion, because I expect there to be this type of disconnect until the Mets make a definitive move.
It’s also worth noting the Mets could punt, sign Dickey to a two-year extension, then look to trade him next summer, especially now that they know who’s interested and what they’re willing to trade.
Multiple reports have said R.A. Dickey will accept a two-year deal on top of the $5 million owed to him 2013.
However, Dickey is looking for three years worth of money, a team insider told ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin.
Last week, MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone said he was hearing Dickey can be locked up for the next three years at around $25 million.
In mid November, Cerrone said the Mets would likely offer Dickey just a two-year extension, despite him starting negotiations by asking for at least three guaranteed years to start after 2013.
According to Rubin, the Mets will only trade Dickey if the other team is willing to overpay, adding:
“A team insider elaborated that the Mets have all eyes on 2014. … The person pledged the Mets would be far more active in free agency next offseason. … The Mets do not want a trade return for Dickey that would primarily help in 2013. They could just keep Dickey if the primary interest was on next season. Instead, the Mets want a safe bet to seriously contribute in 2014.”
In a report for FanGraphs.com, Dave Cameron took a statistical look at each side and says Mets should certainly be asking teams for two of their top three prospects, plus another player (or something similar to what the Red Sox gave the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez a few years ago).
The Mets seem very optimistic about the trade market for R.A. Dickey, Andy Martino of the Daily News said on Twitter tonight.
Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com:
Dec. 4, 1:03 am: Teams can say Sandy Alderson’s demands are too high. That’s fine. But, it only takes one team, for whatever reason, to lean forward and pull the trigger. I mean, if three teams are interested in free-agent Zack Greinke, it’s feasible and common for one of those three teams to be proactive and make a deal for a different pitcher first. It happens every winter. The problem for the Mets, though, is the Rays are shopping James Shields and looking for the same type of bat that Alderson is seeking… That said, I like how the Mets match up with Toronto and Kansas City, who have also shown interest in Jon Niese during the last year.
Dec. 3, 8:31 pm: The Mets can say in public whatever they way to say, however they want to say it, but I think it’s fair to at least assume they’re talking with teams about Dickey. Do they want to actually trade him? Is it a way to goad him in to taking a lesser extension? I don’t know, but it’s obvious his name is coming up and they’re talking, just like they’ve been gauging interest in him for weeks, according to other reports.
To me, I see the Mets as a team taking a final shot at moving Dickey for a bat, before either signing him to an extension or keeping him on a one-year deal, at which point they’ll explore trading Jon Niese or signing a free agent outfielder. But, this is the time to talk with teams, in person, through surrogates, about Dickey, and it seems that is what they’re doing. I’m not even certain they’re sold on the best path. I just think this is Alderson and his staff doing their due diligence and if a deal falls in to their lap they may take it… but, at the very least, they know where they stand moving in to the coming weeks.
FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal told MLB Network that the Red Sox are not likely to trade C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, despite signing free-agent C-1B Mike Napoli earlier today.
According to Rosenthal, Napoli was signed to play first base (not catcher) and the Red Sox prefer top C prospect Ryan Lavarnway begin his season at Triple-A.
ESPN Boston reported earlier today that the Mets and Red Sox met to discuss R.A. Dickey, with the Mets requesting two of their top prospects.
“Saltalamacchia would seem to be a piece in any talks for Dickey,” Boston reporter Sean McAdam said on Twitter. However, he adds, a source told him the Mets believe they can do better at catcher.
Frankly, McAdam says, though the Mets are willing to listen on Dickey, the Red Sox have not shown interest.
To take it a step further, Andy Martino of the Daily News says the Mets never asked Boston for any specific players, despite the ESPN report.
Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com:
OK. So, it reads like the Red Sox took a meeting with the Mets, as is customary at these meeting, during which the hinted at, or wondered about SS prospect Xander Bogaerts and center fielder Jack Bradley, Jr., but probably not Saltalamacchia. The Red Sox had no interest in Dickey, so that’s where the conversation ended…
The Red Sox met with the Mets to talk about a possible trade for R.A. Dickey, according to a baseball source,” ESPN Boston reporter Joey MacDonald tweeted today.
According to Marc Carig of Newsday, the two sides had been discussing Dickey prior to these Winter Meetings.
MacDonald says the Mets had interest Red Sox SS prospect Xander Bogaerts and center fielder Jack Bradley, Jr.
However, ”it’s unlikely the Red Sox would part with those two prospects,” MacDonald later added.
Mets GM Sandy Alderson said today he’s had preliminary trade talks with other teams about Dickey, who would only be moved “for a difference maker.”
“We’ve met with several clubs on a variety of topics,” Alderson explained. He said he intends to have similar conversations throughout the night.
The Mets met with eight teams Monday about Dickey, a source told ESPN New York.
Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com:
Updated, 4:55 pm: This is interesting. Bradley gets high marks, especially for his defensive. They also say he’s a very solid hitter with excellent plate discipline and good speed. He’s very, very intriguing, and profiles exactly like the type of player I would expect Alderson to have interest in. Bradley would quickly become Alderson’s best position prospect. Still, I get the feeling the Mets want a player who is more ready than either of these guys, yet MacDonald is reporting it’s the Mets who made the request, which is interesting. I wonder if this deal would include Jarrod Saltalamacchia or something else, with the Mets giving up additional players as well? I’m intrigued.
The Mets have gotten serious about trading R.A. Dickey as soon as this week, sources tell ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
According to Stark, the Rangers and Royals are seen as the most logical fit for the Mets in a deal for Dickey.
Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com:
The buzz in KC is that the Royals will first look to sign a free agent pitcher, specifically Anibal Sanchez. If that fails, they’ll turn to the trade market. They’re willing to move a hitter to get a front-end starting pitcher. Teams (like the Mets and Rays) will almost certainly ask for Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer and top hitting prospect Wil Myers, who, for now, the Royals say are not available.
I was told last week that the Royals had more interest in Jon Niese, but the reporting elsewhere seems to suggest otherwise. Dickey has one year left, and he’s sort of a mystery, and 38 years old. Niese is a lefty, young and under an affordable contract, so I got to think he’s more capable of delivering a high-quality bat than Dickey.
Last month, a handful of officials from other clubs at the GM Meetings said the Mets could do quite well in a trade for R.A. Dickey, the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff tweeted today.
Davidoff says the consensus was that the Mets could land multiple young players with real upside.
Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com:
There are insiders who believe offers for Dickey will improve after Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez and other front-end, free-agent starting pitchers begin to sign new contracts. So far, the Mets are being underwhelmed by offers that include just mid- to upper-level prospects, according to multiple reports.
The Mets continue to feel underwhelmed by trade offers for R.A. Dickey, tweets Andy Martino of the Daily News.
Jim Duquette made a similar comment on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio today.
Martino says the Mets remain undecided about whether to sign or trade him, according to ‘people involved.’
Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com:
It’s going to keep coming down to this. The Mets want and need a bat, preferably someone young, with power and under contract. So, if Dickey can deliver this in trade, the Mets will do it, from what I understand. If he can’t, they’ll probably end up signing him to a two-year extension, while exploring trades for Jon Niese. If Niese can’t deliver that bat, they’ll look to the free agent market, which could drag out through the off season.
