The Dickey-to-Toronto trade

[Benjamin Grimm]

In case you missed it: It would be Dickey, Thole, and a non-elite prospect to the Blue Jays for Elite Prospects Travis d'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard, catcher John Buck, and one non-elite prospect. Deal is contingent upon Dickey negotiating a contract extension with Toronto.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Big 'hope it happens.' I attended one of the one-hitters, and the 19th and 20th wins, and loved watching Dickey bamboozle big league hitters, but I think this is a deal that has to be made.

If Dickey is 35, maybe not, but his age, along with the many things that I have read about d'Arnaud and Syndergaard, make me hopeful that this could be a Ryan-Fregosi mismatch that goes the Mets' way. Hopeful, I say. I know there are no guarantees, but I'm looking forward to seeing ol' Travis catching Wheeler and Harvey in the post-season before long.

[metirish]

I agree with the gentleman above me.

[Frayed Knot]

With the usual caveat of this deal being what we've heard it'll be and that the throw-in prospect won't make us go "Whoa!!", I do not want to see the deal fall apart at this point.

I can be as sentimental as the next guy (and boy is my mother going to be pissed) but we got Dickey for virtually nothing, then got the best three seasons of his career out of him, and now are selling high on him while observing the better a year too early than a year too late philosophy and for an attractive package that'll fill at least one glaring and immediate hole.
Yeah, the players could ultimately turn out to be disappointing but if you take that attitude then you'd never make a deal. And, yeah, maybe this turns out to be dealing him two or three years too early, but when a guy's 38 I'm willing to take that chance.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: With the usual caveat of this deal being what we've heard it'll be and that the throw-in prospect won't make us go "Whoa!!", I do not want to see the deal fall apart at this point.

This.
Leaning toward hoping it goes through, but I'll let you know when all the names are named.

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah, I like it.

[Edgy MD]

Yabbut, imagine the turns in the story if it falls apart! You can't buy that sort of drama!

[TransMonk]

Very much in favor.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Between the feeling of finality and the package involved... at this point, it would be a tremendous disappointment if it didn't go, right?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I would certainly be disappointed if it fell through.

[Guest vtmet]

while I appreciate what Dickey has done in the past 3 seasons; with or without him we still would have been in rough shape for the next several years...

but with the trade, we fill a very important role on the roster for the near future...

[Ceetar]

and what about 2013? officially punting then? Not even going to pretend? Further lying, this time even more outright, about payroll?

What happens if Wheeler has Tommy John in August and d'Arnaud isn't tearing it up? skip 2014 and hope everyone's ready for 2015?

I get the process. It's a good trade, and the whole 'year too early, not year too late' thing makes sense (of course Dickey could have 3 good years...) but I'd almost always rather gamble on the established major leaguer over the prospect, as good as d'Arnaud looks and as sparse that position is in the league. I know the deal is good, but it just reeeeeks of desperation that they couldn't afford to let an asset go un-cashed.

[seawolf17]

Ceetar wrote: they couldn't afford to let an asset go un-cashed.

Well, not for nothing, but they almost can't. So they're not.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Ceetar wrote: and what about 2013? officially punting then? Not even going to pretend? Further lying, this time even more outright, about payroll? What happens if Wheeler has Tommy John in August and d'Arnaud isn't tearing it up? skip 2014 and hope everyone's ready for 2015? I get the process. It's a good trade, and the whole 'year too early, not year too late' thing makes sense (of course Dickey could have 3 good years...) but I'd almost always rather gamble on the established major leaguer over the prospect, as good as d'Arnaud looks and as sparse that position is in the league. I know the deal is good, but it just reeeeeks of desperation that they couldn't afford to let an asset go un-cashed.

I've read this three times and I still wouldn't bet ten cents that I know how you voted.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I do.

[Ceetar]

Swan Swan H wrote: Ceetar wrote: and what about 2013? officially punting then? Not even going to pretend? Further lying, this time even more outright, about payroll? What happens if Wheeler has Tommy John in August and d'Arnaud isn't tearing it up? skip 2014 and hope everyone's ready for 2015? I get the process. It's a good trade, and the whole 'year too early, not year too late' thing makes sense (of course Dickey could have 3 good years...) but I'd almost always rather gamble on the established major leaguer over the prospect, as good as d'Arnaud looks and as sparse that position is in the league. I know the deal is good, but it just reeeeeks of desperation that they couldn't afford to let an asset go un-cashed. I've read this three times and I still wouldn't bet ten cents that I know how you voted.

either way you'd be wrong. I missed the poll. oops.

I wouldn't be unhappy if it falls through. I'm certainly not excited for prospects. I get that it..probably..makes the Mets better as soon as maybe 2014..but that's a ways away.

[nymr83]

I like it. I like it even more if 10 months from now we're talking about how d'Arnaud was robbed of his rightful ROY trophy only by the Mets leaving him down until June 1st while the Blue Jays have just won the AL East and the Yankees have lost a 1-game wildcard game as the higher-seeded wildcard and that Yankee management is privately (to the newspapers) claiming the 1-game thing is "unfair" as they lose to an 83 win Royals team.

this could be win-win!

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Prospect trades scare me. How many of these guys just never pan out?

And we still haven't filled the team's most pressing need -- the outfield.

[Edgy MD]

A lot of prospects never pan out.

But a lot of All-Stars never repeat.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Absolutely. John Buck was an all-star once. Went 1-2 in the 2010 game with a double.

[metsmarathon]

at this point, since i don't think the mets will be able to bring him back if the deal were to fall through, and i doubt very much that the mets would receive as promising a return, i regerettably vote that i hope the trade goes through.

i may need to start making the blue jays my favorite al team...

[Chad ochoseis]

Ceetar wrote: I wouldn't be unhappy if it falls through. I'm certainly not excited for prospects. I get that it..probably..makes the Mets better as soon as maybe 2014..but that's a ways away.

The Mets could keep Dickey, sign every single free agent still on the market, and trade away every prospect in the system for established major league talent, and they still wouldn't match up well against the Braves or the Nationals in 2013. So I'm all in favor of planning now for 2014 or even 2015.

Prospects are high risk, high payoff. So get as many good ones as you can, and count on the law of averages - the two or three stars will more than make up for all the ones that don't pan out.

[Ceetar]

Chad Ochoseis wrote: Ceetar wrote: I wouldn't be unhappy if it falls through. I'm certainly not excited for prospects. I get that it..probably..makes the Mets better as soon as maybe 2014..but that's a ways away. The Mets could keep Dickey, sign every single free agent still on the market, and trade away every prospect in the system for established major league talent, and they still wouldn't match up well against the Braves or the Nationals in 2013. So I'm all in favor of planning now for 2014 or even 2015. Prospects are high risk, high payoff. So get as many good ones as you can, and count on the law of averages - the two or three stars will more than make up for all the ones that don't pan out.

And what happens if Wheeler has Tommy John in August and Niese takes a step back again? Wait until 2016? You gotta be in it to win it right? Braves and Nats aren't locks for anything, given how volatile baseball can be.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Ceetar wrote: And what happens if Wheeler has Tommy John in August and Niese takes a step back again? Wait until 2016? You gotta be in it to win it right? Braves and Nats aren't locks for anything, given how volatile baseball can be.

Yup. Especially considering the "improved" playoff system that admits any team that just above suck. It would be nice to have a Cy Young Award winner in your rotation for those short series.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Ceetar wrote: Ceetar wrote: I wouldn't be unhappy if it falls through. I'm certainly not excited for prospects. I get that it..probably..makes the Mets better as soon as maybe 2014..but that's a ways away. The Mets could keep Dickey, sign every single free agent still on the market, and trade away every prospect in the system for established major league talent, and they still wouldn't match up well against the Braves or the Nationals in 2013. So I'm all in favor of planning now for 2014 or even 2015. Prospects are high risk, high payoff. So get as many good ones as you can, and count on the law of averages - the two or three stars will more than make up for all the ones that don't pan out. And what happens if Wheeler has Tommy John in August and Niese takes a step back again? Wait until 2016? You gotta be in it to win it right? Braves and Nats aren't locks for anything, given how volatile baseball can be.

And what happens if the 38 year old has the injury, and you get nothing for him? What if Wright decides to quit and join a rodeo league? What if Murphy and Tejada move to Vermont, get married and open an antique shop?

[Guest Swan Swan H]

And what happens if all of your worst-case scenario moaning actually takes place and they don't make the deal? The year is shot anyway, and when they come out on the other side they have a 39-year old pitcher instead of a stud catcher and a hot pitching prospect.

[Ceetar]

Swan Swan H wrote: And what happens if all of your worst-case scenario moaning actually takes place and they don't make the deal? The year is shot anyway, and when they come out on the other side they have a 39-year old pitcher instead of a stud catcher and a hot pitching prospect.

maybe the year isn't shot. it's freaking December.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Do me a favor, when you come in off the ledge, close the window. It's supposed to get cold tonight.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

And what if there are bees? Bees as far as the eye can see! SO MANY BEES!

The gist is that you don't want to "punt" this season, right? The Mets finished in a distant, distant fourth with Dickey pitching the best season of his life. You don't think it's possible that moving him to fill a current and future weakness, with a host of youngsters-with-potential in the high minors for rotation backfill, actually improves the team for next year?

[Guest Swan Swan H]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: And what if there are bees? Bees as far as the eye can see! SO MANY BEES!

Las Vegas plays the Salt Lake Bees May 24-27. Hopefully d'Arnaud will be called up by then.