Less than one week after finalizing their extension with David Wright, the Mets may be making progress toward a long-term deal with R.A. Dickey. Here are yesterday's Dickey-related rumors. Continue reading for today's news with the most recent updates up top…
- At least a couple of teams have offered one elite prospect in trade talks for Dickey, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. However, the Mets want multiple players in a deal for the Cy Young winner. The Rangers don't appear to be close to a deal for Dickey, Heyman writes.
Earlier updates:
- Speaking at a Mets holiday event, Dickey suggested he'd likely leave as a free agent after the 2013 season if he and the Mets don't agree to an extension, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter links). Dickey said he feels he has been more than fair and expressed disappointment with the negotiations.
- The sides have "inched toward" progress in the past 24 hours, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. While the Mets haven't ruled out a trade, they've increased their offer to the two-year, $20MM range on top of Dickey's 2013 salary of $5MM. The Mets had previously been offering a total of approximately $16MM for the 2014-15 seasons, but Dickey seeks $26MM for that two-year period, Martino reports. Yesterday Mets people were more optimistic about contract talks with Dickey than about trade talks with the Rangers, according to Martino.
- Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.com hears that Dickey wants to get a deal done before Opening Day to be sure his value doesn't collapse during the season. The Mets are willing to sign a deal that includes an option for 2016, Cerrone reports.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney points out that the Mets were asking for difference-making prospects in trades for Dickey and suggests the club should be willing to pay the knuckleballer like a difference maker (Twitter link).
- As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports notes, the Mets' current three-year, $25MM offer amounts to what Jeremy Guthrie got from the Royals in free agency (Twitter link).
