Report: R.A. Dickey 'a Handful,' 'Far From Beloved' As Mets Look to Move Him

The dominating storyline of R.A. Dickey has been that of a plucky knuckleballer who beats the odds.

Dickey’s rise past childhood abuse through an uneven baseball career to winning last year’s National League Cy Young award has made him a folk hero in New York. But don’t think that means everyone loves Dickey.

Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes that, while Dickey is loved by fans, he may have worn out his welcome with New York management and his teammates. That gives the Mets just one more reason to trade the 38-year-old, who has asked for a two-year, $26 million contract extension on top of the $5 million he is due to make next year.

“Dickey can be a handful,” Davidoff writes. “He clearly has enjoyed his rise from the ashes into a Flushing folk hero, and while he deserves praise and riches, there’s also the matter of him having to coexist peacefully in a workplace. His gift for self-promotion and his love of attention don’t endear himself to most teammates.

“Instead, his durability and outstanding results led him to be appreciated but far from beloved.”

Davidoff also pointed to one situation, the Mets’ holiday party, where Dickey took questions from reporters and once again aired his complaints.

“If Dickey can’t control his verbiage at a holiday party — ‘Folks, not today, not with the kids here’ was all he had to say to reporters — then how would a full season of uncertainty feel?” Davidoff asks. “How many times would Dickey spout off publicly? Or work behind the scenes to make the Mets look bad and boost his own brand?”

With Dickey threatening to leave after next year if he doesn’t get the new contract he wants, the Mets appear to be very wise to try to move him while his value — and potential to harm them — is high.

New York was reportedly in trade discussions with the Blue Jays over the weekend, with Toronto likely to send highly regarded catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud to New York if the deal went through.