Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey expects that there will be a difference between his upcoming extension talks with the Mets and the contract discussions that took place before the 2011 season, when he signed for two-years and $7.5MM. Dickey, now in the midst of a Cy Young caliber season at age 37, says he has “more leverage” this time, according to Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger.
“This mentality is different,” Dickey said. “Because I’ve done that now. I have more freedom to really weigh things.”
The Mets will exercise Dickey’s $5MM option for 2013 once the current season ends, but general manager Sandy Alderson has publicly repeated his intention to lock the knuckleballer up beyond next year. The Mets had some negotiations with Dickey during the 2012 season with the intention of extending him for at least one additional season.
Dickey suggested he and David Wright are a “package deal” to an extent, McCullough reports. The Mets are expected to exercise Wright’s 2013 option once the regular season ends then pursue an extension. If the Mets don’t work to extend the third baseman beyond 2013, Dickey will take note.
“I think it would be a message to everybody that they’re content to spend the next five or six years rebuilding this organization,” he said.
Opposing executives believe Dickey can continue succeeding for years, according to McCullough. One executive suggested Dickey would have a chance at a four-year contract if he hits free agency after the 2013 season.
The Mets should lock him up for the next few years, he’s a fan favorite and at this point he is the reason that me and alot of other people are going to this afternoons game and others in a season that otherwise was a complete and utter failure.
@mikefichera
Very true. I’ve attended 3 Mets games this year, 2 were to see Dickey. The last time was to see the ‘duel’ between him and Cliff Lee. Really wish I could be there today. Mets won’t extend him until next year, at $5MM, they’d be fools to do so.
With the type of year he’s had, he’ll need to get off to a flying start in 2013 in order to get a quick and solid contract extension. Otherwise, he may run the risk of being labeled just lucky, and because of his age, not a good risk for a long term contract. Here’s hoping he wins 20!!
Lucky ?
in 3 straight years with 3 teams who were sub-par and had below .500 seasons…he has had one of the best ERA’s in ALL OF BASEBALL
2010 – 2.84
2011 – 3.28
2012 – 2.69
in 3 years with 3 bad teams he is 39-28 with a 2.93 ERA…
ummm…after viewing pics of Citifield’s empty stadium, u are in the minority here —>
“he is the reason that me and alot of other people are going to this afternoons game …”
This is NYC…if u havent noticed…we support winning teams…we dont care if they are a bunch of ex-convicts and coke heads ( the 86 mets )….we dont care if they are a bunch of goody 2 shoes….just win…
if trading Wright nets us a Texiera like return….you do it in a heartbeat…
this whole lets keep David Wright cuz he speaks good english and looks good on ur daughter’s posters is the same baloney that the Wilpons give us every year.. they have traditionally put marketing above production and treated the team like a circus aimed at selling tickets to nice lil innocent kids than blood thirsty adults looking for a ring.
this is why that whole “meaningful games in september” line was the most honest quote the wilpons have ever produced.
Winning a ring is way down the list of things to do on their list
The days of getting a “Texeira like return” for a guy one year or less from free agency are over.
i’ll take 2 really good prospects or MLB ready guys instead of 4!
really?
Roy Holliday was traded for as many prospects…
Texiera Deal: Mark Texeira for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, Neftali Feliz and Beau Jones
Halladay Deal: Roy Halladay for Kyle Drabek, Travis D’Arnaud, and Michael Taylor
Would you like a calculator?
my bad !
so many trades that day with lee going to seattle i lost track of who went where…
If the mets can get 3 solid top prospects for David Wright, I do that trade in a heartbeat…
Man did the Braves get fleeced on that deal LOL!
that was 3 years ago
There was alot of people at the game. I’m not sure what you are talking about. Especially for a day game on a thursday at the end of a listless season. Please stop hating.
Define “alot of people” ? what was the actual attendance…and please dont forget…RA Dickey was going for a 20th win in a potential CY Young award year…plus this may be David’s last home stand…none of that mattered 2 weeks ago when the last home-stand had so few people, that ESPN wrote an article on it…
at the end of the day…in no way shape fashion or form is a NY crowd going to pack a stadium to see 1 player on a mediocre non-contending team…
the only question we should have is does David Wright without those prospects give us a better chance to compete than those top prospects minus David Wright…
The folks over at their blog site are now just repeating what I have been saying for the past 3 seasons…
David Wright is a complimentary player…a fine one at that…who would excel in a smaller market surrounded by better players than himself…
so unless ur gonna trade for Albert Pujols, Robby Cano, Derek Jeter, and Joe Mauer….there is absolutely no point in keeping DW…trade him to Baltimore for Manny Machado and call it a day
Do you honestly think they’d give up Machado for him? Not even close. Like you said he’s a complimentary player.
…by himself..no….packaged with some prospects, total salary relief for 2013…maybe
Empty stadium? Announced attendance was 31,506…..pretty good considering it’s a weekday day game and a below 500 team.
announced attendance is NOT actual attendance….how many of those tickets were purchased last winter..?
how many were purchased back when the mets were in 2nd place ?
there is no way on earth u can tell me Met fans are rushing to see a player on a mediocre team….
5-6 Years??? Dickey is 37, I know hes a knuckleballer but I dont think they should give him more than a 2 year deal.
Roger Clemens is going to get starts for the Astros next year at 50
and they’re going to lose at least 100 games, what’s your point?
Yeah what sublime said, do you actually think Clemens will be any good? And he really has nothing to do with Dickey.
3 years is fair to be honest he’s proven himself the past 2 years and he’s still got some good years left I think.
Overall age & a knuckleballer will make for a interesting negotiation.
With Wright – Mets are rebuilding
Without Wright – Mets are rebuilding
Amen, but try telling that to the Wilpons. After everything that’s happened they appear to have learned nothing. As always, all they can think of is marketing David Wright’s face to the public for dollars – instead of making moves that will ultimately lead to the creation of a competitive team. A little common sense (and a look into the ghost town in the stands) should tell them how “well” that’s working. Again. But I guess that it hasn’t occurred to them that Wright is the “face” of a losing franchise.
With a mind set like that guarding the purse strings and little else of value to give up besides Wright, it would be a miracle to see the Mets compete any time soon.
I basically got banned from their website for saying this a month ago..
actually i posted Jeff Wilpon’s collegiate baseball career record on the site…lol
You mean the MLB website? I’m surprised they even took the time to notice what you did since they’ve always been waaay lax about even the most objectionable behavior on their sites.
na metsblog
and thats exactly my point…they let the craziest stuff on their fly nowadays…but a bunch of folks who were critical of the team were banned…
No way im going anywhere near a four year deal. Two years max.
I’d go 3 I think that’s a fair deal to be honest he isn’t no Ollie Perez that’s for sure he’s the real deal atleast.
the hardest part about rebuilding is the starting pitching, the Giants showed us you can with with a bad offense, and bullpens are year to year. If the Mets sign Dickey their pitching staff will be right there with the Nationals, assuming Santana comes back to his Mets form (look at Johan stats – actually better numbers with the Mets than with Twins – but less run support). With Edgin and Carson showing they can be bullpen players the mets bullpen is even 1 step closer to good form. Now they just need to find hitting with no money and no hitting prospects to bring up.
Exercise the option and trade him…..should get a decent haul for a 20 win Cy Young award winner coming off this amazing season. Either resign Wright for something reasonable or trade him too after picking up his option. They just don’t have enough other pieces to be competitive to lock up an aging pitcher to a crazy deal.
Mets really have to move on from their stubborn ways. You are NOT contending this year or the next so why not actually use these players with some value such as Wright and Dickey to get pieces that will actually be helpful when you are relevant again.
Pay ’em both if the Mets don’t want to be irrelevant for the next decade.