It has been a pretty poorly-kept secret, but Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported today that the Mets and Blue Jays have agreed in principle to a trade that would send reigning NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey to Toronto.
Sources: #Mets, #BlueJays have agreement in principle on Dickey trade. Window open for Jays to extend Dickey, which would complete deal.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 16, 2012
As of now, the Blue Jays have 72 hours to negotiate a contract extension with Dickey, who is signed for $5 million through the 2013 season. Dickey had earlier said he was not inclined to discuss an extension with Toronto, but he later took back that statement.
Here is the reported breakdown of the deal, but I suppose this could change:
To Toronto:
SP R.A. Dickey
C Josh Thole
Prospect to be named
To New York:
C John Buck
A prospect to be named later
Travis d'Arnaud playing with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in June 2011. (Image via Wikipedia Commons)
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On the surface, it’s a tough deal to swallow for Mets fans. Dickey not only had been a terrific pitcher for the past two seasons, he became a fan favorite.
The Mets, however, are taking a chance on two very highly-rated prospects from the Blue Jays’ system.
d’Arnaud was originally in the Phillies’ system, going to Toronto as part of the Roy Halladay deal. He hit .333 with 16 home runs in 67 games at Triple-A Las Vegas last year. With the major league veteran Buck also included in the deal, d’Arnaud might start 2013 in Las Vegas as well, since the 51s are now the Mets’ top affiliate. It won’t be long before d’Arnaud is in the Mets’ lineup, adding a major power threat next to David Wright in the order.
Syndergaard was a first round pick out of a Texas high school in 2010. He was 8-5 with a 2.60 ERA in 27 appearances, 19 of them starts, at Single-A Lansing last year. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, he throws in the mid-90s and also has a changeup, curveball and slider. It will take him some time to reach the big leagues, but he could be a mainstay of a future Mets rotation that may also feature Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler.
What do the Mets give up? A 38-year-old knuckleballer coming off a career year and Thole, who probably is a major league backup at best. Sure, Dickey could pitch until he’s 45, but it might also be all downhill from here.
The Blue Jays are building a team to compete in 2013. The Mets are looking at 2014 and beyond. Time will tell what happens, but Mets fans should probably be happy that the team’s front office has a plan for making the Mets relevant, even if it does take some time.
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Your thoughts? Are you sad to see Dickey go? Let me know on Twitter: @THR_Montgomery.
