Knuckleball maestro R.A. Dickey may get his wish at a contract extension, but it will most likely be in another shade of blue.
The Toronto Blue Jays have emerged from the pack of teams interested in Dickey and are “close to agreeing on a trade” for the Mets’ pitcher, according to Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Mets are reportedly looking for an outfielder (most likely Anthony Gose) and a catcher (J.P. Arencibia or Travis d’Arnaud) in the swap.
The reason Dickey is moving at all is that he has expressed interest in getting a contract extension beyond this year. He posted a stellar season for the Mets in 2012, when he won the National League Cy Young award on the back of a 20-6 record and 2.73 ERA with 233 2/3 innings pitched. While New York is reluctant to give the 38-year-old an extension as the team looks to rebuild, the Mets have appeared willing to trade Dickey.
As of Friday, however, there was no confirmation that Toronto would give Dickey an extension if the trade went through.
The Jays made some of the biggest and earliest moves this offseason, pulling off a monster trade with the Marlins to get starters Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle as well as star shortstop Jose Reyes. Getting Dickey would not only give Toronto one more weapon on a suddenly solid team but would also put the remade Blue Jays at the top of the American League East heading into the 2013 season.
The Orioles and Rangers were also said to be interested in Dickey, who is valued for his ability to log significant innings despite his age thanks to his knuckleball.
Photo via Facebook/SNY
