Dickey Could Draw Interest From Multiple Teams; D-Backs Intrigued About Dealing Upton

The NL Cy Young Award won’t be announced until November 14th, but R.A. Dickey is already picking up some hardware; the knuckler has the honor of winning the Player’s Choice award for the National League’s most outstanding pitcher. The award is voted on entirely by the opposing players, meaning Dickey has the respect of his peers. However, earlier on yesterday, Andy Martino shed some light on potential interest for the Cy Young favorite if Sandy Alderson decided to put him on the trade market.

According to one American League executive that he spoke to, there could potentially be as many as a dozen teams that would be intrigued enough to inquire on Dickey’s services, but his actual value and what other teams would be willing to trade away is up for discussion. After posting a career year, which included a 20-6 record with a 2.72 ERA, his value is as high as it will ever be for the 38-year-old, and with the Mets in dire need of some offense and protection for David Wright and Ike Davismoving into 2013, it could worth it to see who will bite in the trade market.

Sep. 28, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton (10) hits a two run home run in the game against the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

I would love to retain Dickey and have him signed to a short-term, multi-year extension, but if I had to choose holding onto Dickey or Jonathon Niese in the long haul, I would have to choose Niese. Not only is he younger, he’s already signed to a franchise-friendly deal, and his potential is sky high after a solid 2012 campaign. On the other hand, it’s fair to assume that Dickey has reached his peak; while I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues his pure domination of the league over the next couple of years, it’s unfair for us to expect that type of production. If Alderson can get the type of bat he wants in return for Dickey, he’d probably be gone in a heartbeat. As the speculation continues, we’ll see what actually happens; with the GM Meetings set to start tomorrow, we may start to see Alderson’s off-season plan take shape.

The work to help the tri-state area recover from the wrath of Hurricane Sandy will continue on November 14th, as the Mets are teaming with City Harvest to host a food drive at Citi Field. Fans will be able to drop off whatever donations they have any time between 9am and 5pm at the Hodges VIP entrance. The most needed items include: peanut butter (in plastic jars), macaroni and cheese, hot or cold cereal, and canned fruit and vegetables. Although there shouldn’t be one, there is an incentive for fans; those who donate 10 or more non-perishable items can get a voucher for two tickets to a Mets home game this April, and donors will get 15% at the team store, valid for November 14th only, while season ticket holders will get a 20% discount.

Arizona Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers said earlier this off-season he wanted to unload some of his outfielders via trade, but those not named Justin Upton. Now, he could be changing his tune, as he’s apparently intrigued by the thought of dealing Upton and getting a wealthy amount of talent in return…as he should be. I’m sure he understands he’s not going to get a whole lot in return for someone like Jason Kubel, except for the payroll relief. Upton did have a down season (.280/.355/.430 with 17 HR and 67 RBI in ’12), but he’s shown 30-HR, 90-RBI potential, and with his current deal, that talent would be coming at an extreme discount ($9.75 mil in ’13, $14.5 mil in ’14 and ’15).

So, go ahead and start the rumor mill again, because word on the street is Towers wants MLB-caliber pitching, as well as a young outfielder if he decides to actively shop Upton. Yes, that means Niese’s name would once again be coming up in this conversation. However, it sounds like the D-Backs will shop Kubel and Gerardo Parra first and foremost; if this is the case, Niese shouldn’t even be considered to be dealt by Alderson until Upton is brought into the conversation. Kubel is not nearly dynamic enough of a player to swap with a pitcher with the potential of Niese, and Parra doesn’t hit for much power in Arizona, so one can only imagine how that would translate to Citi Field.

It will be an interesting month as we find out which rumors have any truth to them and which are purely smoke and mirrors. Either way, Sandy should be tapping Mr. Towers on the shoulder at this week’s GM Meetings to have a little chat with him.