Mets' Dickey Reiterates Desire To Stay; Prepared For Trade
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- R.A. Dickey wants to stay with the Mets. He's made that crystal clear.
But he -- and everyone else -- knows a trade is a real possibility as extension talks drag on. The knuckleballer is prepared for wherever he winds up.
"As time has progressed, I think he is getting more to a peace with it," Dickey's agent, Bo McKinnis, said Tuesday, according to the Mets' official website.
From the Winter Meetings on Monday, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said he spoke with "several" teams regarding Dickey, and would only let go of the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner for a "difference-maker."
"For me to say that (the Mets) are in an awkward spot, not knowing whether to sign him or trade him, I guess we're similarly mixed," said McKinnis. "R.A. really does want to be with the Mets, but he doesn't want to be here if being here is not the best thing for the club."
According to the New York Daily News, Dickey would accept a two-year deal worth around $26 million, which would kick in after his $5 million option year in 2013, but New York is "not willing to pay ... quite that much."
Alderson said Tuesday that it "remains to be seen" whether the Mets and Dickey's camp can bridge the monetary gap.
"Something could happen on either front that would bring all of this to a conclusion," said Alderson. "It may not happen in Nashville. So it's really hard for me to guess where this is ultimately going. But the sentiment that we've had from the beginning I think remains the same: We'd like to have him in New York."
Dickey appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" Tuesday, reiterating he'd prefer to stay in New York. But he also said he understood Alderson has to do what's best for the team: "I'm hoping to be here, man, I love it here. Sandy Alderson's got a job to do. He's paid to make the Mets better. I've got to try to be as professional as I can."
"This tremendous story, this tremendous success, I guess my question is, how will the New York Mets screw this up?" Stewart quipped.
The Mets officially announced David Wright's long-term extension on Tuesday. Dickey said as the 2012 season was winding down that he and Wright were something of a "package deal."
So what now? That's anyone's guess.
"It really became clear to us that David Wright only knows the Mets, and so I think it would be far more devastating to him to get traded," said Dickey's agent. "When I say it to R.A., yes he would be disappointed because he wants to be with the Mets. But on the other hand, using R.A.'s terminology, it would just be another step in the journey."
What's your gut say on the future of R.A.? Let us know in the comments below...
