Mountain climbing among pitcher’s passions,
But that was too rich for a Mets franchise that has had ownership issues and was itself not expecting to truly contend for the next three years, even with Dickey. Instead, Mets GM Sandy Alderson began to shop him.
The Jays were the ones. There was a buzz starting on Friday, but a horsehide cone of silence seemed to descend on the proceedings on Sunday. The deafening silence from inside the Mets office, the usual source of leaks, indicated that the ball was in the Jays’ court and that negotiations for an extension were proceeding behind Anthopoulos’s self-imposed veil of secrecy. Nothing new. That’s just the way he rolls.
By Monday morning, the Jays were working within a 72-hour window of opportunity to satisfy Dickey’s demands. Surprisingly, the two-year extension that was reached was for roughly the same amount Dickey had been asking for from the Mets, $25 million.
Clearly, Anthopoulos and the Jays expected that the cost of doing business would go up because he was changing franchises, that his price to stay in New York would be off the table, that his demands would go up with a new team, new country, new taxes, etc.
Instead, the Tuesday deadline became moot as Dickey stuck to his Met demands and Anthopoulos quickly reached an agreement, tying the Cy winner to the Jays for three years for a total of $30 million plus a $12 million option for 2016. It didn’t take long for Dickey and the Jays GM to become friends.
The trade involves seven players and will bring Dickey, major-league catcher Josh Thole and minor-league catcher Mike Nickeas to the Jays for an attractive prospect package that includes catcher Travis d’Arnaud, right-hander Noah Syndergaard, outfielder Wuilmer Becerra and major-league catcher John Buck.
Why would the Jays give up two such highly regarded youngsters in d’Arnaud and Syndergaard? They receive a Cy Young pitcher who, even at an advanced age, has seen his numbers and his production increase in all statistical areas over the past three seasons as he learned how to maximize his repertoire. Consider, also, what the free-agent market has produced this winter.
Dickey will average $10 million per year. Zack Greinke was six years and $147M with the Angels. Anibal Sanchez, five years and $80M with the Tigers. Hiroki Kuroda, one year and $15M with the Yankees. Ryan Dempster, two years and $26.5M with the Red Sox.
Dickey is a bargain. Anthopoulos considers the Jays’ window of opportunity to be right here, right now, led by a revamped rotation that will include Dickey, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero.
The 20-year-old Syndergaard, at Class-A Lansing in 2012, will likely not be a contributor in the majors during that period. As for d’Arnaud, he was the piece the Mets insisted on and you don’t get quality without giving up quality.
It was suggested in this space over the summer that if the Jays continued to insist on hoarding prospects and building for the future with a powerhouse farm system, pleasing fans in cities like Vegas, Manchester and Dunedin, with mediocrity in Toronto, it was suggested that Jose Bautista would become impatient and Anthopoulos, at the end of 2013 the Jays might end up with another Roy Halladay situation, wherein your star was promised a contender around him
when he signed his previous contract to stay loyal to the Jays and you failed to deliver. No such worry now.
The odd man out in a veteran rotation is left-hander J.A. Happ, who, unless someone is dealt, becomes a swingman in a deep, hard-throwing bullpen — filling the role of Carlos Villanueva. The Jays’ goal is to have a major-league capable inventory of eight starters. Happ would be No. 6, with others like Drew Hutchison and Kyle Drabek returning from surgery as the summer progresses.
Dickey became the third Mets pitcher to win a Cy Young Award, joining Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden. At 37, when the 2012 season ended, he was the third oldest to capture the Cy, following Roger Clemens, 42, of the Yankees and Gaylord Perry, 40, of the Padres.
He becomes the fourth Cy Young winner to be traded before his next season. The others were David Cone to the Jays from the Royals in ’95, Pedro Martinez to the Red Sox from the Expos in ’98 and Clemens from the Jays to the Yankees in ’99. Notice the consistent Canadian angle.
Dickey was not a one-hit wonder. For his three seasons since joining the Mets in 2010, his performance and his statistics have improved each season as he learned to harness his two speeds of knuckleball, mixing it with a mid-80s fastball and a changeup that keeps hitters guessing. But his bread-and-butter is still the knuckleball. And no chance of Tommy John.
The Mets always knew that Dickey’s best before date would likely expire before they were ready to contend. At the meetings, they extended David Wright and have control of the face of the franchise third baseman for eight years, but Dickey’s prime is now. Who knows when he’s 41.
The Jays’ farm system is deep in pitching prospects. D’Arnaud was a valued piece of their future, but now that leadership falls to incumbent J.P. Arencibia who has always embraced Toronto and is under control for at least the next four seasons. His importance has increased substantially.
Anthopoulos prides himself on never chasing a dream with money he had not planned on spending. When the Jays were finalists for young Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman several years ago, before anyone knew they were true players, Anthopoulos had ownership’s go-ahead to make the deal with the 20-year-old left-hander with the 100 m.p.h. fastball. But when the Reds upped the bonus ante at the last minute, he told Jays ownership that despite the green light, he was out. Self-discipline.
The negotiations with Dickey ended successfully at an affordable rate, even less than the GM might have been expecting to pay when he flew out of Toronto to meet his man.
The 23-year-old d’Arnaud, was the key player for the Mets. The Jays would not give up Anthony Gose as the second prospect. Syndergaard is the second of the Lansing Big 3 to be traded this winter. Left-hander Justin Nicolino was dealt to the Marlins in the 12-man November blockbuster.
Both prospects were rated Top 5 in the Jays’ system. The Jays remain deep in minor-league starting pitchers and have managed to hang onto big-armed righthander Aaron Sanchez, who may be the best of the highly touted Lugnut trio.
Spring training will have a different feel when the Jays’ camp opens in 57 days.