With that said, today has ended the long saga involving the trade of my favorite Mets pitcher of recent vintage, 2012 Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey.
I am torn on this trade. On the one hand, it makes long term sense. R.A. is 38 years old and it is wise to trade older players at the height of their value. Coming off a 21-win Cy Young Award season, that value aint gonna get any higher. Plus, the Mets are getting back from Toronto some very good prospects. Travis D'Arnaud is a stud. A stud like Buster Posey? Maybe not, but close. (I just added this card to the collection and I will probably snag a few more while I can). Noah Syndergaard, while having a wonderful hockey name (remember hockey?), has shown early promise, though only in class A ball. Also, swapping Josh Thole for John Buck at least will stop me from constantly swearing and throwing things at the TV over Thole's lack of power, passion, and defense.
On the other hand, Dickey could pitch for another 5-6 years. He had secretly good numbers in 2010 and 2011 and got it all to work in 2012 by winning those 21 games rather than 8. I think he could easily have another 3 or 4 seasons like 2012. He is the perfect kind of pitcher you want as a number 2 or 3 starter. That is worth $25 million and more. Plus, whatever happened to team loyalty and in return rewarding a player who showed it?
I don't think this trade was made over money but for building for the future. By the time Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey and Reese Havens et al are ready for prime time, say 2015, R.A. Dickey won't have the value he has now. So I understand the thinking behind it. The Mets lost Reyes and didn't get a damn thing for it - not even a high draft pick, since the Marlins finished so low in the standings the year before. So trading Dickey now and getting back two players that might be on the team in 2020 is smart business (which I know to Mets fans is an unfamiliar concept). I just hope in the long term, Sandy Alderson knows what he's doing. This is a bold, risky move. I pray it works out better than other Cy Young trades the Mets have made.
On top of all this, this will no doubt be the last time I get to make a good Dickey joke on this blog. The only player on the roster with a fun name worth mocking is Lucas Duda...although John Buck is a great porn name. Godspeed, R.A. Dickey. I will be rooting for you in Toronto to keep the Yankees out of the playoffs.
***UPDATE*** I must say, the man knows how to say goodbye.
I was/am a big fan of R.A. But, as a Mets fan first and foremost, I think this was the right thing to do -- for the reasons you pointed out. I mean, Dickey won 20 games and the Mets still finished in the bottom tier of the league. So, might as well cash in on the peak of his trade value. Let's just hope at least one of these prospects pans out!
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