RA. Dickey Trade Rumors Deserve Their Own Thread

[Benjamin Grimm]

I just looked up Mike Olt. He's played the great majority of his games at third base, but he has appeared in a few games at first base and right field.

[Frayed Knot]

The reports on Olt's defense at 3B are excellent but the reports on his overall athleticism are as well and I think, should this rumored proposal come true, it would be a no-brainer to stick him in RF even if his speed and arm play no better than mediocre out there. If the projections of his bat are accurate his offense shouldn't be a liability anywhere, and if they're not then, well then we're in trouble anyway.
Worst thing that happens otherwise is that he shifts in to 3B in a few years when Wright gets moved across the diamond.

[ashie62]

I thought Olt was insurance against Hamilton leaving.

I would be happy with Elvis Andrus....

[Edgy MD]

Klapisch and others are pushing the Mets to move the D for big league shortstop Dee Gordon and AA righty Zach Lee.

I'm leery. Gordon cooked up a great big pot of Regresso Sauce last year, and brings less slugging to the table than Ruben Tejada, as hard as that might be to believe. Baseball America has bumped Lee from #89 (Pre-2011) to #62 (Pre-2012) to #49 (Mid-2012). I can't find a post-season rating but I think he's inching into the top 30. But he's one of those that keeps climbing prospect lists despite the performances staying modest.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, but how great would it be to have Dee and Lee join Gee on the Mets?

I saw some speculation that the Mets would get Gordon and Lee as part of a three-way deal, where they'd flip the them to some other team for that one "difference maker". I suppose it's one of very many possibilities.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Gordon's one of those little insects who has almost no power at all, looks to me like a backup already. Tejada is already better. And blah blah never enough pitching blah blah, the reason to flip Dickey is for offense that can help now, not minor league pitching depth.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Dee Gordon is exactly the guy I want leading off and playing shortstop if it's 1983.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Isn't that the guy from Twisted Sister?

[Frayed Knot]

Mets � Willets Point wrote: Isn't that the guy from Twisted Sister?

Only if we give him ABNS's haircut.

[A Boy Named Seo]

No, Dee Gordon is what would happen if Twisted Sister was playing the state fairgrounds on one end of town, and Sonic Youth was playing a relevant dive bar on the other side of town, and both bands ended up eating at the same Denny's after, and Kim Gordon and Dee Snider mades eyes from across the room and they ended up meeting in the bathroom a making a lil baby in a brief moment of passion. Except the baby's black.

[Frayed Knot]

Of all the proposed (made up?) prospects in Dickey deals, I like the idea of Dee & Lee the least.
As was said above, you've got a 1970's-ish SS on the one hand. And then not only are pitching prospects notoriously tougher to project, but we also need pitching the least.
Give me power (particularly in the OF) and/or a good catcher. Neither of these two fit my idea of the "impact players" Sandy says he wants.

[Edgy MD]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Gordon's one of those little insects who has almost no power at all, looks to me like a backup already. Tejada is already better. And blah blah never enough pitching blah blah, the reason to flip Dickey is for offense that can help now, not minor league pitching depth.

Yeah, I'm pretty much there. Or at least as close to there as I can be without offending Bucket with my odor or any sexual tension.

Lee was a two-sport star with Citadel provenance. Maybe he's knocking the scouts out in part because he cuts such an impressive athletic figure. These guys, whoever they are, rank him as the 23rd best pitching prospect in the minors. Righthanders from Texas always make folks drool.

Klapisch recommended jumping at this deal in the midst of saying the Mets did right by signing David. Obviously, his job isn't going well unless the Mets do wrong.

[Edgy MD]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: No, Dee Gordon is what would happen if Twisted Sister was playing the state fairgrounds on one end of town, and Sonic Youth was playing a relevant dive bar on the other side of town, and both bands ended up eating at the same Denny's after, and Kim Gordon and Dee Snider mades eyes from across the room and they ended up meeting in the bathroom a making a lil baby in a brief moment of passion. Except the baby's black.

If this was a script treatment, tell me that three or four studios wouldn't pay good money for the option.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Edgy MD wrote: A Boy Named Seo wrote: No, Dee Gordon is what would happen if Twisted Sister was playing the state fairgrounds on one end of town, and Sonic Youth was playing a relevant dive bar on the other side of town, and both bands ended up eating at the same Denny's after, and Kim Gordon and Dee Snider mades eyes from across the room and they ended up meeting in the bathroom a making a lil baby in a brief moment of passion. Except the baby's black. If this was a script treatment, tell me that three or four studios wouldn't pay good money for the option.

Seriously, I'd back that project. Take my money!

[Fman99]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: No, Dee Gordon is what would happen if Twisted Sister was playing the state fairgrounds on one end of town, and Sonic Youth was playing a relevant dive bar on the other side of town, and both bands ended up eating at the same Denny's after, and Kim Gordon and Dee Snider mades eyes from across the room and they ended up meeting in the bathroom a making a lil baby in a brief moment of passion. Except the baby's black.

I still think we can orchestrate this somehow. I'll bring the AstroGlide�.

[ashie62]

I'll stick with youngish AS Elvis Andrus.
With Profar they ought to do that.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Andy Martino wrote: Sources: Texas expressed willingness to Mets to move Olt for Dickey. BUT I'm told it will take more than just Olt for Mets to move Dickey.

Jon Heyman wrote: at least #bluejays along w/ #rangers involved in RA Dickey talks. toronto thought unlikely to trade D'Arnaud. gose maybe

[Frayed Knot]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Jon Heyman wrote: at least #bluejays along w/ #rangers involved in RA Dickey talks. toronto thought unlikely to trade D'Arnaud. gose maybe

That would be Anthony Gose - a speedy OFer originally drafted by the Phillies (2nd round, 2008) but already in his 3rd organization even though not 23 until next August. He was sent to Houston in the Roy Oswalt trade and then on to Toronto for Brett Wallace.
He got some ML time with the Jays in late 2012.

I'd want more than him for Dickey.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Looks like it's gonna happen for D'Arnaud + (I guess the question is what's the +?). Jays already did 12-player deal this year.

Post's Ken Davidoff in the meantime with a mouthful here:

And, in an underappreciated part of this saga that soared into visibility this week, Dickey can be a handful. He clearly has enjoyed his rise from the ashes into a Flushing folk hero, and while he deserves praise and riches, there�s also the matter of him having to coexist peacefully in a workplace. His gift for self-promotion and his love of attention don�t endear himself to most teammates. Instead, his durability and outstanding results led him to be appreciated but far from beloved. If Dickey can�t control his verbiage at a holiday party � �Folks, not today, not with the kids here� was all he had to say to reporters � then how would a full season of uncertainty feel? How many times would Dickey spout off publicly? Or work behind the scenes to make the Mets look bad and boost his own brand?

[bmfc1]

Apparently all Mets should spout vapid, cliched replies like David Wright, or be as dull as Jon Niese. What a shame the Mets have something unusual: a baseball player that is interesting and well-spoken. Let's have more Lucas Duda's instead! This is Mets management speaking evil about a Met, a beloved Met, that has been on the cover of [u:2f6dkdyi]Sports Illustrated[/u:2f6dkdyi] twice this year--how does that happen for a lousy, perennial fourth place team?--someone that made me proud to be a Mets fan. Perhaps the bounty that Alderson gets for him will pay off one day and we'll look back at this trade as a turning point. I hope so but today, I don't care. The Mets are about to trade the player that gave me goosebumps.

[G-Fafif]

Davidoff with the good, old-fashioned hit job. I'll take the baseball doubts about age, track record, risk, et al as legitimate factors, but the dark personality stuff? To quote one of my favorite comics, "Who cares?" If that's what it takes to win, then let every Met get a little self-absorption going and direct it as Dickey has.

All smoke and mirrors. They don't want to pay him. Yeah, get the best package you can for him if that's the ultimate outcome. But the "oh, you know, he was an awful human being" smear job to win people over to their side is wholly unnecessary.

Dick Young wrote the same heaping pile about another Cy Young winner in 1977.

[Valadius]

I've taken a spin through Blue Jay-land. They weren't happy when it looked like they would have to only give up Arencibia and Gose. D'Arnaud and Gose has them practically shaking with rage. They still haven't gotten over losing Halladay, it seems.

[bmfc1]

G-Fafif: "Who cares?" indeed.

[Ceetar]

Valadius wrote: I've taken a spin through Blue Jay-land. They weren't happy when it looked like they would have to only give up Arencibia and Gose. D'Arnaud and Gose has them practically shaking with rage. They still haven't gotten over losing Halladay, it seems.

yeah, but then they'll get to watch Dickey pitch and get over it real fast.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

I don't necessarily disagree with the Jays perspective, obtaining Dickey and going for it in 2013, but if the parameters of the deal we keep hearing (Dickey for d'Arnaud and Gose) are true I think the Mets would be wrong to pass this up.

I've been trying to find someone with something negative to say about d'Arnaud, and I'm sure someone could, but I'm having no luck. What I did find is this:

Rated Best Hitter for Average in the Toronto Blue Jays system after the 2011 season
Rated Best Power Hitter in the Toronto Blue Jays system after the 2011 season
Rated Best Hitter for Average in the Toronto Blue Jays system after the 2012 season
Rated Best Power Hitter in the Toronto Blue Jays system after the 2012 season
Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the Florida State League in 2010
Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the Eastern League in 2011

[Frayed Knot]

If at least some people on both sides aren't a bit pissed off about it then it probably isn't a fair trade.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Swan Swan H wrote: I don't necessarily disagree with the Jays perspective, obtaining Dickey and going for it in 2013, but if the parameters of the deal we keep hearing (Dickey for d'Arnaud and Gose) are true I think the Mets would be wrong to pass this up.

I agree.

[metirish]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Swan Swan H wrote: I don't necessarily disagree with the Jays perspective, obtaining Dickey and going for it in 2013, but if the parameters of the deal we keep hearing (Dickey for d'Arnaud and Gose) are true I think the Mets would be wrong to pass this up. I agree.

agree too......sad to see him go but ......


hate to see the negative stuff there on him.....it's not at all surprising though.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Is this a sign that writers think the Mets are returning to relevance? Slamming players to curry favor with management?

I guess we'll know for sure when Medgal writes a puff piece about the Wilpons.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Hey look, we all love Dickey but is it so difficult to believe his constant self promotion wouldn't be a bit of an issue with teammates? The degree to which it matters can be debated but this is Requesting Attention Dickey were talking about.