Rumors have been flying every which way lately about what will happen with R.A. Dickey. The reigning NL Cy Young winner has been on the trading block for weeks, but, even through the winter meetings, the Mets have yet to strike a deal for the knuckle-balling right-hander.
I’m not sure what sparked it today, but all of the sudden the rumor mill blew up with news of Dickey being moved soon, and the most important player in these talks seems to be the Toronto Blue Jays.
After GM Alex Anthopoulos made some blockbuster moves with Miami in November, it became apparent the Jays decided on 2013 as their year to make a playoff run. When Anthopoulos brought in proven starters Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson, the Jays’ pitching rotation improved overnight. At that time, they were considered by some to be one of the better rotations in the league, and it was certainly one that would keep the Jays competitive.
Should the Jays add Dickey to the rotation, there’s little doubt they will have one of the best starting rotations in the MLB. Dickey would likely be the ace, followed by Johnson, Buehrle, Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow. A knuckleballer like Dickey would be a great fit in Toronto, especially with heat-throwing pitchers like Morrow and Steve Delabar, who regularly throws in the upper 90s, and whom I’ve seen throw into the 100s. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but bringing Delabar in to relieve for Dickey would make him virtually unhittable!
Originally, it was reported that Anthopoulos had offered catcher J.P. Arencibia and outfield prospect Anthony Gose in exchange for Dickey. These rumors came up during the winter meetings when the Mets were shopping Dickey around for the best offer. The latest rumor is that the Mets are looking for Toronto’s top prospect Travis d’Arnaud, also a catcher. d’Arnaud has long been regarded as the future franchise catcher for the Jays, and it is understandable why the Jays would be hesitant to let him go.
My thought is if the Jays are truly making a stand in 2013 and a run at the playoffs, then there should be no reason to hold onto d’Arnaud. Trading a top prospect hurts, but Dickey will be an ace next year, and the Jays will make good use of him. Not to mention, the Jays are overloaded with catchers right now after picking up John Buck from Miami.
What I can see happening is a few other players getting tossed into the mix. If the Mets are dead-set on d’Arnaud, then they will need to add another player to sweeten the deal. The Jays have a pretty solid lineup for the upcoming season, but it wouldn’t hurt to add some depth — maybe pick up a utility infielder to give Brett Lawrie and Jose Reyes a day off every few days?
While the addition of Dickey would be a great move for the Jays, if they can’t work out a deal, it won’t hurt the team’s chances next year. They are already highly favored to be contenders, so any deal they make with the Mets would be pure gravy.