Please realize that we were discussing the flack caused by the interview and with comments about him being a microphone hound and the Mets being angry that he aired his feelings at what was an inappropriate time wrongly infers that it was R.A. who was responsible for creating the flack which was completely wrong.

On Sports Night, Kevin Burkhardt said he wanted to set the record straight – R.A. was in New York for another reason, unaware there was a children’s Christmas party that day. At the last minute he was asked by the Mets if he would attend it. Despite it being a last minute request and R.A. was in New York to attend to other personal business, he said yes and took time out from his schedule to be there.. The Mets had invited both the press and R.A. to the event and Kevin said it was his job when interviewing Dickey to ask those questions of him and then added what else could the Mets have expected the media to do.

It was not R.A. who used the party as a forum to voice his feelings. He wasn’t even scheduled to be there and he was approached by the media to talk about. Burkhardt wanted to know his opinions and R.A. was being honest and open. He was also being gracious to the organization, saying there was also the owner’s side to the issue and they too have valid reasons to consider what is in the best interest of the team, reasons he said even he was probably unaware of.

How much fairer could one be? R.A. certainly does not deserve to be subjected to such second guessing.

Dickey is already a Met and any signing is an extention of the old contract meaning we can trade him because he already served a year on our roster nullifying the rules of the sign and trade limitations….

The only difference is that Dickey can demand a trade from his new team or ask for free agency once he is there.

Any attempt to say otherwise is an outright lie!

His agents were not under any pressure until the 106 Mil offer was made with a take it or leave it note at the Winter Meetings.
And he got that because Mil and Washington both talked to his agent about setting up a visit.
Marlins heard that and said we can’t wait either sign or we move on and added 10 Mil to the original offer.

Yes he could have gotten more if he waited….But he got enough to placate him which is proof Reyes wasn’t all about the money!

A microphone hound? Who approached him and asked him those questions?

I think it is refreshing when we see one in the public eye amiable to talking honestly with the media. I think a media-hound is more representative by the likes of a Reggie Jackson or any politician making looking to take advantage of a situation for a photo opportunity.

A class act like R.A. deserves better than the classless act he works for. Whereas Sandy shows his concerns are not about people but money, R.A. shows that his primary concern is for others – hence he climbed the mountain knowing it put his contract and career at risk and he pitched with a torn stomach muscle all season long.

Regarding Sandy and money, nobody is coming down on the profit motive. It’s just that there is room to be a financial success without having to piss down on everybody.

R.A. did absolutely nothing wrong when answering those questions which he did not raise but were brought up by the television network that is also partially owned by the team. I am glad Kevin Burkhardt gave him that opportunity to speak to the fans.

You are so right.

The only disagreement I have was when you wrote: “Reyes was smart enough to sign thte 1st solid deal he received which prevented the Mets from further bashing him to the media”.

Where have you been the past year? The Mets have continued their Jose bashing to the media to make him appear as a selfish ballplayer with no loyalty to his former club as one of a series of attempts to draw attention away from how the organization is conducting business.

There was no way Jose was going to escape being used as a whipping boy by the Mets. All we hear from the organization is that Jose walked, nothing about the front office having never talked.

The issue is a TIMING issue…
They would not enter into negotiations until after the trade package was set.
So the value of return will be based on having to negotiate with Dickey not set and known.

In essence you get no more than your getting now and the Mets have LESS leverage because those negotiations are under Dickey’s control as much as anyone else’s and he could ask for more and enough to make that deal not worth it to them.

But if he is signed BEFORE the deal is made then that cost is already a known, the Value set and the return on kids is based on what a Cy Young guy signed for 3 years is worth as opposed to what he might be worth after the negotiations.

For the same reason why Niese is worth more in trade than Dickey due to his long control, the value on Dickey would also go up based on control for the next three years.

We know what price he is willing to sign for….It’s pretty damn cheap you have to admit.
So sign him and then try and trade him and get that extra pick you won’t get now because you don’t know how much he wants when at the time you agreed to the give package.

Thats all, they are pissed he told the truth, because they know the truth will kill them.

He didn’t take that first 96 Mil deal he took the second 106Mil deal once other teams had called his agent about setting up a meeting and the Marlins raised thier bid and added a take it or leave it condition to it.

reyes and his agent decided they liked Miami more than the possibility of more money someplace else and took the SECOND Miami offer….

Nice try at revisionist history though…You should get a job with Oliver Stone he needs good history rewriters all the time.

They want more kids….
they don’t care how good the player is and what he can do for the team his greatness is only being measured by how many kids he can get back in trade.

If they could have gotten enough kids for Wright he would be gone already but because he was going to command a much higher salary they couldn’t get a lot back because of that cost.

“Bo McKinnis, Dickey’s agent, has said he would be willing to negotiate an extension with a suitor before a trade is completed. So, perhaps, it’s a moot point as long as the Mets are willing to give a pursuing team a window to extend Dickey as a contingency of a trade.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/59397/gm-extending-dickey-would-up-trade-value

Suck is worth 6 Mil
Cy Young just 2.3 Mil more!

I been saying this for weeks now only to be shot down and ridiculed by the SAND PEOPLE….

If you sign this guy you might just get the kids you want because they don’t have to worry about extending him to more than he is asking for now and they don’t have to worry about giving him a qualifying offer (that could be more than he is asking for) just to get the comp picks back for him after the option expires.

The one thing that always scares off teams on trades is how much UNKNOWN are they trading for?
The performance can never be accuratly quantified so it comes down to either make a trade at rental prices or wait till we extend him and then trade for him when the payroll question on him is settled for the next 3 years.

Anyone who thinks they would rather negotiate on thier own should understand they can do that anyway next season without having to give up a single prospect.