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December 17, 2012 12-13 Offseason Joe Janish

What If Dickey Denies Extension?

According to FOX Sports, the Mets and Blue Jays have a agreed upon a trade that will send R.A. Dickey and Josh Thole to Toronto in return for a package that likely includes Travis D’Arnaud, John Buck, and Noah Syndergaard. The trade, however, is contingent on the Blue Jays extending Dickey for at least two years — and they have until Tuesday to do so.

Yes, I’m making the most of our final hours of R.A. Dickey sophomoric humor. But seriously — what if Dickey torpedoes … er, what if R.A. chooses not to sign an extension with Toronto?

To be perfectly frank (there I go again), I think the Mets are up the creek if Toronto and R.A. can’t come to an agreement. Teams needing a starter like Dickey are dwindling, and will be less inclined to offer the Mets a bucketful of prospects if they’re getting only one year of the NL Cy Young Award winner. What will the Mets do if that’s the way things play out?

Maybe they re-engineer the Toronto trade, replacing R.A. with Jonathon Niese. Though, would the Blue Jays still part with D’Arnaud? If that’s what happens, then what do the Mets do with R.A.? Would they extend him, or try to trade him for whatever package they can get?

Perhaps my concern is unnecessary. But the deal’s not done until Dickey agrees to terms with Toronto.

Are you worried? What do you think the Mets’ options are, if this deal falls through?

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. Reese December 17, 2012 at 11:44 am
    I think his price goes up — probably closer to $30 million for the two year extension to make up for his leverage and the tax consequences of being in Canada, but it also gives him a chance to get to the World Series which, of course, would not be happening with the Mets before 2015.
  2. MikeT December 17, 2012 at 11:54 am
    If Dickey denies the extension, and then ups his demands, then the Mets should be content to call his bluff. Fact is that he is 38 and has this one chance to cash in on likely his peak. If he pitches well next season he might still not get what he is truly worth as a FA. His age will always work against him. He would eventually cave and sign whatever reasonable offer the Mets are giving him.

    He’s be dumb to do it though. His best chance at winning and making a bunch of money is with the Blue Jays.

  3. Mike B December 17, 2012 at 12:37 pm
    I feel like I am in the minority here, but I dont think there is a shot with get a package like this with Niese being the Centerpiece. I like Niese and think he would get a good return, just not as good as anything RA could get.
  4. Walnutz15 December 17, 2012 at 12:46 pm
    Doesn’t look like we’ll have to worry about the title:

    Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star reports that extension negotiations between the Blue Jays and R.A. Dickey “have ended successfully at an affordable rate.”

    Griffin doesn’t have the exact terms, but it is expected to be for more than the two-year, $26 million extension he was seeking from the Mets. He adds that the Jays will now examine Dickey at their spring training complex in Florida before the seven-player trade is announced. The proposed deal will send Josh Thole and an unnamed, non-elite prospect along with Dickey to the Blue Jays, while the Mets will receive Travis d’Arnaud, John Buck, Noah Syndergaard and an unnamed, non-elite prospect.

    Dec 17 – 11:17 AM
    Source: Toronto Star

    http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/3252/r.a.-dickey

  5. Mic December 17, 2012 at 12:59 pm
    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1446928-new-york-mets-2013-why-trading-cy-young-winner-ra-dickey-is-good-for-the-mets#/articles/1446928-new-york-mets-2013-why-trading-cy-young-winner-ra-dickey-is-good-for-the-mets/page/2
  6. Mic December 17, 2012 at 1:09 pm
    Joe:

    1: RA came to the Mets very quietly, and if someone told you LAST yr that RA would fetch TWO of the best prospects in baseball you would have choked….AND if someone told you last yr that RA, a 38 year old knuckleballer, would be asking $25M in a non FA year you would have balked.
    …Bottom-line is this was a very fortunate turn for the Mets. NOTE: They save RA’s salary and Thole’s.

    2: Jose Reyes: So a 27yr old leadoff man and hitting leader NOT traded at the deadline. How BIG does that look now?

    3. The Mets still Dave Wright and a healthy Johan Santana. They have Kirk, Harvey, Flores, Travis D’A, Wheeler, Ike, and Noah as young guns. Not too bad.

    • Joe Janish December 17, 2012 at 1:49 pm
      You forgot about the K-Rod trade, which returned nothing (but helped the Wilpons remain sports moguls).
      • Joe December 18, 2012 at 1:21 am
        Other than saving a bit of money and two relievers, at least one that they used a bit. Not sure what K-Rod was likely to get.
  7. Izzy December 17, 2012 at 1:17 pm
    Class person goes to Canada. Scum remains holed up in the exec offices in queens. They want to trade him Fine and dandy. But why is every Met on the way out trashed? Why? Because Wilpon and Alderson are both the lowest form of person.
  8. Mic December 17, 2012 at 1:55 pm
    Agreed Izzy. I think RA should be applauded for what he did in his 3 years as a Met. He brought credibility to the mound, he offset BS from the front office, and was a voice in the locker room despite the hostility from the media. While I (we) should cheer the trade, I recognize that RA was huge to the Mets during very muddy times.