20
2011
Dickey Believes A Multi-Year Deal Is Still Possible
An article by Hojo's Mojo
As we reported on Tuesday (see original post below), R.A. Dickey is in store for huge raise even if he were to lose his arbitration case with the Mets next month.
The lowest Dickey can earn will be the $3.35 million that the Mets submitted as their arbitration figure, a $2.7 million dollar raise over last year’s $600K earnings for a surprisingly phenomenal season.
Even though figures have been exchanged by both sides, Dickey remains hopeful that he and the Mets can agree on a 2-year deal that will keep him from becoming a free agent after the 2011 season.
“Just out of respect for the process, I can’t really comment on it right this second. But I still am hopeful for it,” Dickey said about signing a multi-year deal. “It’s the first time that I’ve ever been through it, and it’s the way I want to treat it right now.”
Dickey went 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA in 26 starts for the Mets last season, but this spring will be the first time he doesn’t have to worry about making the opening day roster.
“Going into spring training the last 15 years of my career, I’ve had to go in full bore, ready to open eyes, and try to make a team. Or not make a team,” Dickey said. “This year I’ll be able to go in and work on my craft. And that’s pretty neat to be able to do that. I’ve never had the opportunity to do that.”
Dickey is such a class act and this year he is the veteran leader of the staff at least until Johan Santana returns.
Original Post 1/18 8:00 AM
Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reported the figures that were exchanged today between the Mets and their two remaining arbitration eligible players, outfielder Angel Pagan and pitcher R.A. Dickey.
R.A. Dickey
2010 earnings: $572,865
Dickey’s request: $4.7 million
Team’s offer: $3.35 million
Eligible for free agency after the 2011 season, assuming 165 of 183 days are spent at major league active roster or DL.Angel Pagan
2010 earnings: $1,662,500
Pagan’s request: $4.2 million
Team’s offer: $3.0625 million
Eligible for free agency after the 2012 season.
To say I was a little surprised by these figures would be an understatement. Clearly, I should have played more baseball growing up as a kid.
The sides can still settle before hearings, which take place in February in Florida.
As was already reported earlier, Mike Pelfrey settled with the Mets today for $3.925 million, with $50,000 in performance bonuses. Not a bad haul considering he earned just $500K last season.
About the Author: Rob Johnson
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Dickey needs a new pair of shoes.
For what R.A. Dickey did during the season, having come up during May, and become one of the Mets biggest surprises, i can understand why he wants that much. I think unfortunately, that the Mets and R.A. Dickey will go to an Arbitrator next month.
Brandon, I wouldn’t bet against a settlement being arrived at before hearing date, this IS STILL a WILPON OPERATION & FRED FEELS THE SAME WAY ABOUT ARBI HEARINGS AS THE WICKED WITCH DOES ABOUT SHOWERS.LOL
That is true. The Wilpons aren’t the kind of guys who just sit on their butts and just wait for arbitration. They could come to an agreement sooner or later, but the reason i said that, was because they are kindof apart on the money part of the contract.
a Difference of 1.3 Mil is not something that will go to arbitration.
What will likely happen is they will include an incentive package that Dickey will easily meet if he maintains his performance and repeats.
And I expect Dickey’s request to come down a bit now that Pelfrey has signed for under 4 Mil.
I don’t think there’ll be any problem here. It’s just normal negotiations – one side present one price and the other present a counter-offer. I don’t blame Dickey because you always want to start high and wind up closer to a price you expect.
Actually I was surprised at how high the team’s offer is.
Holy crap, you said something reasonable.
But, ya, these are just the starting points of a negotiation. I’ve seen arbitrtation cases start a lot worse than <$2 million apart.
I think they will settle on a base salary closer to the Mets' number, but with some easy to reach incetives to bring up closer to Dickey's.
Donal, give yourself a GOLD STAR! and wear it proudly…
Somebody forgot to tell Dickey that Sandy Alderson isnt looking to spend more than $1.5MM on a starter. Clearly, he did not get the memo.
Dickey deserves every penny he asked for if not more. Mets were silly for not giving him a 2 year deal when they had the chance. Now if he has another great year, they’ll need $10+ million to keep him in 2012 if he even decides to accept a one year offer as many team will be offering 2-year deals next offseason if he pitches well for the Mets again.
personally I don’t think the Dickster will see anything near 4.7 million when he’s 35 and has never done anything close to this in his entire career and has been making league minimum his whole life. I think this one will go to an arbitrator. Pelfrey has three pretty decent years in a row with a couple years of 200 innings and just won 15 games and is getting not even 4 million. Dickey was shootin for the moon and I think will come up way short. Nothing wrong with trying though.
I don’t think it will go to the arbiter, I think they’ll settle at $4 mil.
If I was a betting man I would bet the base number is about 3.7 M with incentives. Pelfrey is (at this point) our ace and I doubt they will pay Dickey more than they just agreed to pay Pelfrey.
They really need to sign Dickey to a two year deal so they can concentrate on filling the other holes in the rotation.
Dickey is also a guy who broke into the majors throwing 95 mph. He has had to completely recreate himself as a pitcher. The fact that he has become such as success is a near miracle. Dickey is worth the money. He is a knuckleballer which means 35 years old for Dickey is comparable to 25 years old for a fireballer. He’s got some great years ahead of him.
looking at the numbers, it seems like a reasonable situation for a 2 year deal. 2/8? about that? fair to both sides, and gives them another guy locked up for 2012 at a reasonable rate (unless of course they don’t want one).
I don’t think you’ll see a multi-year deal until he proves it wasn’t a fluke. 2yrs/8mil for someone thats had one good year at 35. I just don’t see it. This isn’t Omar anymore.
One positive is that we’d be dipping into a free agent year. but the negative outweighs the positive in my opinion, in that if he sucks this year, we’ll be payin him 0 dollars as opposed to 4 million in 2012 for absolutely nothing. I think one thing you’ll see with the new FO is smarter investments with some actual rational thought, regardless if they don’t work out in hind sight.
you can argue it either way, but a 2 year deal covering the 1st year of FA can be a very smart move.
agreed, if you know what you are probably gonna get from the player. Not smart in Dickey’s case since the Mets have no clue what to expect in 2012 after seeing him succeed one year in 2010, ya know what I’m sayin?
The deal should be for Two years, yes last year could have been a fluke but if it wasn’t you don’t want to have to bid for him next year. for the money he is asking for it is a reasonable risk to give him the extra year and it also gives you contract flexability.
They could give him a 2 year 7 Mil contract with incentives to bring it up to 8 Mil if he performs.
First year would be for 4 Mil + Incentives and the second at 3 Mil plus incentives.
You could even prorate the incentives so that any incentives earned is added to his base salary next season. So if he earns 2 Mil in incentives this year, he gets a 5 Mil base next year.
Then at least he will have proved he was not a fluke and you pay him accordingly!
No one would have any problem paying him 5 Mil per if they knew they were going to get the same kind of season he had last year!
A Two year deal give you that flexibility and keeps contract control.
A One year deal is a simple gamble and even if you win you lose because he could sign anywhere after that as he will be in demand and you will have to bid against everyone else to keep him.
If he sucks all you will have blown on that second year is 3 or 4 mil which is not a whole lot of money these days.
Isn’t 2/8 what Takashasi received with his Angel deal?
I love R.A. I mean how could you not! But, I have a heard time believing R.A can match the magic from 2010. ANd too be honest I would have much rather spend the 2/8 on Takahashi in my mind Takahashi’s versatility as a starter and reliever makes him more valuable than Dickey.
I think Anderson has backed himself into a corner and put the Mets in a position where they REALLY Can NOT afford TO NOT sign R.A.
a SP that can throw 234 quality innings like dickey did last year is worth way, way more than a pen guy/emergency starter. And even if the Mets had offered 2/8, taka probably said no, since at the time he was looking for a 3 year deal at more money.
they have him for 2011 no matter what, so the idea of signing him for 2 years amounts to whether you want to lock him in for 2012, or deal with it next off season when he is a FA.
Good argument but your assuming Dickey will be able to Keep it up for another few years. Granted Dickey’s performance and stamina were admirable in 2011. But.. at his age, well things begin to fall down on you.
you assumed that Taka could keep it up. He is as old, if not older, than Dickey!
But he’s a knuckleballer, they could be effective for another few years.
Lifer, Dickey throws an 80 mph knuckleball. Not a 95 mph fastball like he used to. Most pitchers become less effective as they become older because of diminishing velocity. If Dickey loses velocity on his knuckler, that just means more movement. More movement means Lord help the rest of the league. Especially in the NL where Dickey is the lone knuckleballer.
You forget he is a Knuckleball pitcher. Very little stress on the arm and physical abilities is not really a factor when throwing that pitch!
Thats why guys like Niekro were able to pitch well into his 40′s!
There is no stress on the arm like there is with a guy who needs to throw 90MPH to be effective.
So Dickey’s age is not a great factor here. He is not going to blow out his arm throwing Knuckleballs!
He is not going to suffer the way most guys do when they get to be his age simply because his out pitch has nothing to do with physical prowess.
What the worry with Dickey is is that the league might find some way to hit him that they didn’t find before and that would be about the only thing that could hurt us if we sign him.
The Mets HAVE to sign Dickey. They offered him arb. They’ll either agree on a figure or go multi year or the abitrator will decide on his figure or the Mets. My bet is Dickey would lose his arb hearing and sign for the 3M. Personally I’d go 2/10 and a club option w/1M buyout. RA gets a guaranteed 11M and could get significantly more. We’d have him for two years instead of one and our choice for the 3rd year.
I know but such truths hinder my creative process.
Well I guess we can kiss RA Dickey “Goodbye.” Thanks R.A.!
Sandy said he’s not spending more than 1.5 million for a starter and R.A. wants more than that so “bye Bye” R.A.
Afterall we have have Sandy “JOhn Wayne” Alderson as our GM, a man who wants us to beleive that he,
“is a man who says what he means and means what he says.”
So lets review.. no spending more than 1.5 million a starter.
Luis Castillo needs to earn is way on the roster in Spring Training.
Oliver Perez needs to earn his way onto the roster in Spring Training.
We have the set lineup for opening day.lol.. o My God this is too funny…
We don’t need no stick’in lefty in our bullpen… oh wait, what am I thinking we have the injured ex marlin pitcher that THE MArlins cut.
Hmm. Maybe half a lefty in the bullpen …
We’re so f’ed.
Willie Harris… Harrison… Wow. Who wants to bet me that Willie Harris makes like 3 game losing errors in the outfield this year. It would seem just so fitting.
do you even believe 1/2 the silliness you post?
Alderson knew already (and factored into the budget) what the returning guys were going to cost. The 1.5mill comment (and not sure he actually said that) had to do with signing FAs, which Dickey isn’t.
harris and hairston are MiL contracts, fighting for a bench spot. Who do you expect to be on the bench, Pujols? These are the types of guys teams have on the bench. And smart business that they are not guaranteeing them anything ($ or roster spot).
He already signed at least 1 lefty pen guy. And rumors posted today that they are looking at another one. And there are a couple in the minors that should get a long look in ST, and a chance to earn a spot.
set lineup for opening day? they don’t even have a set starting 8. If you are referring to Collins comments about what he thinks the top 6 will be, so what? they are all set with spots on the team.
and I have no clue why ollie and castillo having to earn spots on the team meets with your derision.
dude, Dickey is on the mets no matter what. its just a matter of how much they are paying him. So I guess they WON’T be kissing RA goodbye.
therefore I guess we shouldnt take most of what you say too seriously.
Are you nuts? You shouldn’t take anything I write seriously!
LoL
Thats a given. I don’t ever take you seriously.
This just in MIKE PIAZZA STRUCK BY Lightning!! Regresses 15 years in body physiology!! BUt wonders Why the Met Manager has vowed to hit him #8 in the opening day lineup???
Oh Goddness I just forgot the name of our manger.. Kelly?? Kelley. JOhnson? No NO. Kelley.. CLarkson. No……..
Kelly….?? WOW I’m drawing a blank.
Did I hear a Kelly Johnson referenc?
Wille Harris can play 2nd base. Scott Hairston can play 2nd base.
Both would play better defence than Daniel Murphy so, you know what! Maybe Sandy does know what he is doing afte rall! HAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAaaaaa…. more wine! bring me MORE wine!!!!!
ooooh that’s it, you’re drunk. knew it had to be something. The things you just said couldn’t have come from a sober person.
I’m getting sleepy I’m going to bed. I have a big giant wine headache. gonna barf up red wine in the morning i=I think shoulda eaten more.. your all aholes by the way. especually you , the one who insists on using the black font.
Good night Mets fans. I won’t remember this in the morning.
lmfaooo
Ah the nerve of the Dickster to not go along 100% with the demands of the false god sandy. And now the worshippers like brain dead chrisy jump on the Disckster. The Disckster is EVIL. He didn’t bow down to the false god and all his happy worshippers. Good for you Dickster. Just wait until next year when you are a free man and they bombard you with endless attacks to make lord sandy pleased. What a sad lot.
I’m fairly certain the concensus around is that Dickey should get a better deal. And even the people who think he is asking too much recognize it as a negotiation starting point. Nobody is realyl mad at him or looking to dump him.
Why are you trying to invent some drama?
Dude, next time you do peyote, tell me.
Why are you still here?
Huge difference between questioning something and having blatent hate, you hate EVERYTHING, you know more then the GM – YOU are a GOD….
Donal is a smart, smart fan. Why is there so much B.S drama? It’s like high school all over again! Dickey will be a Met for the next few years. Reyes will have a career year and will recieve a long term contract. Everything will be ok. Breathe in, breathe out.
Logic has no place on this site – what are you thinking!!! If it’s not drama it’s nothing, if you are not cynical you are not a fan, if you don’t bash Alderson before the first pitch of the season is even thrown then you drink koolaid!!!!
Good Work ReyesAdvocate