R.A. Dickey has just won the Cy Young Award… R.A. Dickey has just done what no Mets pitcher has done since 1985… R.A. Dickey may get his award on Opening Day in a Blue Jays or Dodgers uniform, or any other team who gives Sandy Alderson whatever it is he’s looking for. If that happens, it will be weird to see another franchise celebrating Dickey’s remarkable achievement. It won’t feel the same as when Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden won their awards. We shared in their glory, but that won’t happen if Dickey is traded. This comes one year after the Mets traded reigning National League Batting Champion, Jose Reyes.
I wondered what some of our writers thought and what they would do if the decision was theirs to make. You’re the GM: Should Dickey stay or should he go?
Joe Spector – My heart says keep him. We NEED to have something to be proud of, badly and R.A.’s success really personifies what it means to be a Met. Now we also have to come to grips with the fact that he’s 38 years old and even though he’s a knuckleballer, 38 is still 38. His value is at the highest it has ever been. Unless the Mets are bowled over with an incredible deal then keep him. I can see both sides agreeing on a 3 year deal at around 14 mil per with a mutual option for a 4th.
Jessep – Really, really tough call. I frankly think it’s all about what they get back. If they can get a catcher, or corner OF that we can legitimately expect to see in a Mets uniform by 2014 – then I say go for it. But, I’m really hesitant to do that because I do think the Mets need to establish a sense of “normalcy” and move past the dumping of veterans. I think if Dickey is willing to sign a 3 year deal max, then you sign him because you’re showing everybody that the Mets troubles are behind them. You can always trade him if you need to. I personally am skeptical of his trade value because of so many negative factors. So I say hang with him and hope you continue to see special performances.
Jessica DeMattia – The Mets are in a weird place right now; yes, they do have a full rotation of guys that pitch and keep us in the game. But without Dickey and Johan Santana coming off yet another injury, I don’t think we have an ace in the hole. Without Dickey, who do you give the ball to on Opening Day? With Dickey gone, you’re also potentially rushing Zack Wheeler, who the Mets are trying to keep on the Matt Harvey path. I have full faith that Sandy Alderson will make the move that’s best for the Mets, whether it be to sign R.A. to an extension deal or to trade him.
NYMets945 – Dickey should stay and be the ace and another face of this franchise for the Mets, but only if he agrees to a 2-year deal following this season. So $5MM this season and then $10-13MM per for the next two seasons after that. If not then I am looking to deal him for a top 50 overall prospect from a team and 2-3 other solid prospects in order to help this team in the future. I think Dickey should be here when this team is good in future, but for the right deal.
Craig Lerner – Honestly, I don’t see how we don’t capitalize on this opportunity to cash in on this tremendous peak value Dickey now has. The trick to running a successful team is knowing when to sell high and when to buy low. Dickey now gives the Mets something they haven’t had in quite some time, a valuable trade chip that could transform our fortunes. Just as the A’s cashed in on Gio Gonzalez, the Mets should cash in on R.A. Dickey.
Michael Rappaport – It all comes down to price. I would love to keep Dickey in the Orange and Blue, but Dickey is also going to get a nice contract from somebody else if the Mets can’t afford it. Also, at 38 years old, the odds of R.A. repeating his stellar season aren’t high. It would be unfortunate to lose Dickey, but in the long run, getting players back for him could be the best move for the organization.
Clare Lafferty – Sandy should do everything he can to keep R.A. Dickey. He wants to stay and we really need him going forward. That being said, if there is a really great trade out there for R.A that can help us in the long run, we should consider it. But, my first choice would be to keep Dickey.
Barry Duchan – I’d trade Dickey if an overwhelming deal is offered, something similar to what the Padres received for Mat Latos. If Toronto is really serious about going for it in 2013, they have plenty of players to fill Mets’ needs such as D’Arnaud or Arencibia, Gose, Sierra, and an excess of pitching. A 4-for-1 might do it. KC could also put together a good package, but I’d doubt they’d be interested.
Gregg Hopps – If I were GM of the Mets, I would do my best to sign Dickey. Forget for the moment he’s the Cy Young winner, he’s a good knuckleball pitcher, who can eat up innings. Also as a knuckleball pitcher he can pitch well into his forties. After signing David Wight, Alderson needs to get this done.
XtreemIcon – I wish it were that simple. I don’t think anyone wants to see him go, but a GM needs to explore every opportunity. If some team would overpay and offer a great package, then he should be traded. Maybe he’s demanding too much in negotiations. Or maybe he’d agree to three years at $36 mil and he’s extended. If I’m the GM, that’s as much as I’d guarantee. We can discuss an option year, but nothing more than 3/36 is guaranteed.
Rob Tie-Dyed – He should definitely stay. Personally, I wish our knuckleballer would shop Sandy Alderson.
Should we make every attempt we can to sign R.A. Dickey? Or does he join a growing list of former Mets All Stars that have been systematically ousted via trades in the last 24 months?
When does the bloodletting stop, or maybe a better question is when will we ever begin to see results that you can see in the team’s won-loss record?
