Latest On Mets, R.A. Dickey
Late last night the Mets agreed to terms with David Wright on a contract that’s worth $138MM over eight years. Next up is R.A. Dickey, the defending NL Cy Young Award winner. Here's the latest:
- The sides had dialogue today and the Mets are willing to improve their offer, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). However, the sides aren't close to a deal.
- Talks "could heat up really soon" a team insider told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
- Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com hears that Dickey will accept a two-year contract that would presumably begin after 2013 (Twitter links). Now, Rubin writes, it’s just a question of agreeing on an appropriate annual salary. Mets people seem confident they’ll complete a deal with Dickey, according to Rubin.
- Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog hears the Mets could lock Dickey up for three years and approximately $25MM. That they haven't done so might mean they're still listening to trade offers.
- Dickey would meet with the Mets at the Winter Meetings in Nashville if necessary, but the sides don't have plans for a meeting, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal reports (on Twitter).
- The Mets made Dickey a two-year offer approximately one month ago, Andy Martino of The New York Daily News reported. ESPN's Buster Olney has reported that the knuckleballer seeks at least $10MM per season. The Mets have considered trading Dickey, and clubs such as the Royals have inquired about potential deals. Dickey will earn $5MM in 2013 on his current contract, which expires following the '13 season.
Royals, Mets Discussed R.A. Dickey
The Royals have talked to the Mets about R.A. Dickey as they continue to search for a top-of-the-rotation starter, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reported this week that the Royals have had discussions about trading Wil Myers for Jon Lester or James Shields.
The Royals aren’t looking to trade Myers and have no interest in moving Salvador Perez, Heyman writes. Alex Gordon and Billy Butler are close to untouchable and the Royals aren’t inclined to trading Alcides Escobar, either. Instead, the Royals would prefer to send the Mets younger prospects in a deal for Dickey.
If the Royals were to acquire Dickey, the 2012 NL Cy Young winner, he’d join Jeremy Guthrie, Ervin Santana and others in Kansas City.
"Our rotation is going to better, but we're still looking for the opportunity to improve on what we've done,'' Royals GM Dayton Moore told Heyman.
The Royals seem interested in trading Luke Hochevar and Bruce Chen. Doing so might free up salary for Moore, who now has up to $6MM to spend, according to Heyman.
The Mets have explored the possibility of a contract extension with Dickey, who will earn $5MM in 2013 before hitting free agency. If they trade the knuckleballer, they’d prefer a catcher and outfield help.
NL East Notes: Ruiz, Phillies, Wright, Dickey
Earlier today, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz was suspended for 25 games in a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. In a phone interview, General Manager Ruben Amaro said that he doesn't think that the suspension will prevent future negotiations on a contract extension, according to Matt Gelb and Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Amaro also said that the club may look at other catching options, but it won't be a frontline piece. We learned earlier tonight that the Phillies signed Humberto Quintero to a minor league pact, but the deal was apparently reached before the news on Ruiz was known. Here's more out of the NL East..
- A lucrative contract extension between the Mets and David Wright could come with significant deferrals, similar to previous deals for Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Earlier tonight, Wright and agent Seth Levinson told MLBTR that they are dissatisfied with today's slew of reports on his negotiations.
- A Mets source told Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter links) that a contract extension for R.A. Dickey would "almost definitely" eliminate the possibility that he is traded this offseason. Dickey said in an interview this morning that talks are progressing between him and the club.
- Left-hander John Lannan is expected to be non-tendered by the Nationals and William Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter) opines that he would be a solid fit for the Mets.
New York Notes: Dickey, Wright, Martin, Ichiro
It's been a busy baseball day in New York, as the Mets made David Wright a nine-figure contract offer while the Yankees moved closer to re-signing Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. Here's the latest out of the Big Apple…
- "Negotiations are progressing, that's all I can really say about it," said R.A. Dickey when asked about contract talks with the Mets during an appearance on ESPN's Mike & Mike (audio link). The knuckleballer admitted to being loyal to the club since they gave him a chance when others passed.
- David Lennon of Newsday says (on Twitter) it appears the Mets want to sign Wright to a new contract before wrapping things up with Dickey.
- Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York hears Russell Martin is seeking a four-year contract worth $9-10MM annually (Twitter link). He doesn't believe the Yankees will go that far.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports (on Twitter) the Yankees are not having serious talks with Ichiro Suzuki at this time.
Stark’s Latest: Halladay, Hamilton, Rays, Dickey
In his latest blog post, ESPN's Jayson Stark points out that just five teams have $100MM+ committed to their 2013 payroll right now: the Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, Tigers, and Blue Jays. None of those teams appear to be done this offseason either. Here's the rest of Stark's rumors…
- The Phillies have kicked around the idea of a contract extension for Roy Halladay, though GM Ruben Amaro said that "a lot has to do with how he feels and how he performs. So that's a decision and a conversation that would probably have to go into the spring, and maybe into the season."
- The two sides actually had preliminary talks about a new contract that would raise Halladay's annual salary north of $24MM and keep him with the Phillies beyond next season. Talks were shelved when the right-hander's shoulder began to act up, however.
- Stark hears that Josh Hamilton is no longer on the Phillies' list, and Amaro said they "haven't been given a real budget. I know it's not unlimited, but that's not usually how we work."
- Teams continue to check in with the Rays about their starting pitchers, and the asking price for James Shields is in the neighborhood of the five-player package Tampa received for Matt Garza two winters ago.
- Those same clubs don't believe the Mets have really put R.A. Dickey on the trade market yet.
- Rumors swirl that Zack Greinke is seeking a six-year contract, but his agent Casey Close has yet to ask for specific offers.
- Scott Rolen has told the Reds he may play next season, but he isn't ready to make a final decision tweets Stark. The team wants him back in some role.
Sherman On Blue Jays, Royals, Dickey
Though the Blue Jays and Royals have already added to their respective rotations this winter, they might not be done. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Blue Jays are still looking for a top of the rotation starter and the Royals look as if they need one, too. Here are more notes from Sherman…
- Many executives tell Sherman they plan to investigate the trade market for pitching more thoroughly given the expected cost of free agent starters.
- Rival executives suggested to Sherman that the Mets could ask for more in a trade involving R.A. Dickey if they grant the acquiring team a window for discussing an extension.
- For example, the Blue Jays might be more willing to surrender players such as Travis d’Arnaud, J.P. Arencibia, Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Sanchez if they had the chance to talk extension with Dickey. To be clear Sherman isn’t saying the Blue Jays and Mets will necessarily discuss these specific players.
New York Notes: Kuroda, Pettitte, Wright, Dickey
The Yankees' new deal with Hiroki Kuroda is the biggest baseball story out of the Big Apple today, but here are some more items from both the Yankees and the Mets…
- "Everyone [I] talk to seems confident [Andy Pettitte] will return" to pitch in 2013, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Pettitte will surely want a significant raise from his $2.5MM salary in 2012, Sherman warns.
- Also from Sherman, he believes the Yankees will make "bold" one-year contracts akin to their deal with Kuroda, as the team is comfortable signing veterans to short-term deals. The Yankees will also look for less-expensive "Freddy Garcia type" pitchers later in the winter to add depth, though Sherman doesn't mean Garcia specifically. Sherman suggests Dallas Braden as a possible candidate to fit this mold (both links are to Twitter).
- David Wright's chances of signing an extension with the Mets are no better than 50-50, an industry source tells Mike Puma of the New York Post. Wright and his representatives are dissatisfied with the length and guaranteed value of the Mets' offer, as Wright is looking for a contract in the neighborhood of seven years and $125MM. It has been previously reported that the Mets were going to offer Wright a deal worth at least $100MM and that the two sides had exchanged offers.
- Also from Puma, a Mets official is "not sure" if R.A. Dickey wouldn't be traded even if he did sign an extension. Some in the industry believe Dickey could look for some type of no-trade clause in any new contract with the team.
- Mets COO Jeff Wilpon told reporters (including MLB.com's Anthony DiComo) that he is "more optimistic" than he was two months ago about completing extensions for Wright and Dickey. Wilpon said that trading either player would be the Mets' third option, behind signing them long-term and beginning the season with both men still on the roster. "They're both under contract. This is not a free-agent situation. This is not an arbitration situation. They're both under contract. We have all the flexibility in the world with that," Wilpon said.
Mets Notes: Dickey, Wright
The Mets continue negotiating a potential contract extension with R.A. Dickey, but there's also a chance the team will trade him. Dickey, the 2012 NL Cy Young winner, has considerable trade value even if there are questions about how long he can continue pitching at an elite level. Here are today’s Mets-related links…
- The Mets would want a “monster package” if they trade Dickey, an MLB executive tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The Mets are letting other teams come to them with offers and probably would not trade Dickey unless they get a substantial return for him. In other words, don’t expect a trade unless someone offers the Mets a few highly regarded prospects or MLB players. However, two executives told Martino that they doubt teams will offer a “monster package” for the 38-year-old.
- Mets executives Paul DePodesta and J.P. Ricciardi are fielding most trade inquiries related to Dickey and John Ricco has been leading contract talks with the knuckleballer and his agent.
- The Mets must invest significantly in their team, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. That doesn't mean they have to extend Dickey and David Wright at any cost, but doubts about ownership's commitment will linger until the club starts spending again.
The Latest On The Mets & R.A. Dickey
The Mets are planning to offer R.A. Dickey a two-year contract extension according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Meanwhile, Andy Martino of The New York Daily News heard that the team already made a two-year offer two weeks ago and the two sides have been negotiating since (Twitter link).
The team knows Dickey will take a two-year deal according to Martino, and ESPN's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter) that the knuckleballer seeks at least $10MM annually. Martino says (on Twitter) that it's been clear during talks that Dickey is willing to sign a deal comparable to Jake Peavy's two-year, $29MM pact with the White Sox. The 38-year-old right-hander pitched to a 2.73 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in a league-leading 233 2/3 innings this year, good enough to win the Cy Young Award.
The Mets exercised Dickey's $5MM option for 2013 after the season and although the two sides have been discussing an extension, the team has also gauged his trade value in case things don't work out. GM Sandy Alderson said yesterday that they need "a little more clarity" on the contract situations with both Dickey and David Wright prior to the Winter Meetings in early-December.
Poll: Will The Mets Extend Wright & Dickey?
The easiest decision of the Mets' offseason came on October 30 when the team picked up their options on David Wright (worth $16MM) and R.A. Dickey ($5MM) for the 2013 season. The much trickier move has been in extending both players beyond next season, as the Mets have yet to lock up their longtime third baseman and the 2012 NL Cy Young winner.
CBS Sports' Jon Heyman recently observed that while Wright and the Mets weren't making much progress, "there's always been a feeling something will get done," as the Mets seem committed to keeping Wright as the face of their franchise for the rest of his career. Last month we heard the team was willing to offer Wright a deal worth around $100MM, so it would seem that length, not money, is the issue. Wright turns 30 in December and you would think the team is looking for a six- or seven-year commitment, whereas Wright and his representatives at ACES would want at least an eight-year deal akin to the kind that Wright could find on the open market.
As for Dickey, his situation is much more complicated, befitting his unique status as a late-blooming Cy Young winner. Dickey has broken out as a star during his three years in New York, though at age 38, the Mets have concerns about how long Dickey will be able to continue his knuckleballing magic. The Mets have at least floated Dickey's name in trade talks to see what he could bring back in a deal, as Dickey's $5MM salary makes him a very attractive target for teams looking for immediate pitching help.
With both players under contract for 2013, the Mets have lots of time to negotiate extensions, so it's too early to say that Wright or Dickey are in imminent danger of being traded. Dealing Dickey is understandable from a short-term perspective, though moving Wright would be a much bigger move and essentially a signal that the Mets don't plan to contend until at least 2015. Do you think Wright and/or Dickey will still be at Citi Field come 2014, or is their time with the Mets coming to a close?
What Will The Mets Do With Wright And Dickey?
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Extend Wright, trade Dickey 38% (4,973)
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Sign both to extensions 27% (3,596)
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Trade both 15% (1,946)
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Wait until the July trade deadline 8% (1,114)
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Extend Dickey, trade Wright 8% (1,092)
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Let both leave as free agents, get compensation picks 3% (396)
Total votes: 13,117