Today’s “According To Sources” comes courtesy of Mike Puma of the New York Post. Puma writes that a high-ranking club official brushed off a report indicating the Mets just increased their offer to $20 million on Monday night. The official says that “Nothing has changed since last week”. He also writes that according to a team official, the Mets are “not happy” that Dickey used yesterday’s holiday party as a forum for an airing of grievances.
According To Sources History
- 10/6/2012 – it’s conceivable Dickey will have a new deal in place, at least in principle, by the time the World Series begins later this month.
- 10/25/2012 – Contract negotiations between the Mets and Dickey remain very preliminary and have not advanced to the point of talking years or dollars and they are still talking about when to really get talking.
- 11/6/2012 – The Mets are “not close” to a resolution with Dickey.
- 11/7/2012 – Discussions regarding Dickey’s contract extension could see “a resolution before the month ends”.
- 11/8/2012 – Mets are not expressing the same optimism with R.A. Dickey in regards to “progressing, albeit slowly, in completing a long-term extension”.
- 11/8/2012 – Mets are “showing little interest in signing Dickey to extension” and are “discussing him in trades”.
- 11/9/2012 – Speculation that Dickey wanted a Oliver Perez type deal is “completely incorrect” and that a decision to sign or trade Dickey after the NL Cy Young winner is announced could be resolved pretty quickly”.
- 11/17/2012 – Mets plan to offer Dickey a two-year contract extension & if Dickey agrees to a 2 year extension he wants more than $10 million a year.
- 11/19/2012 – Mets “would want a monster package for (R.A.) Dickey, and if they don’t get it, probably would not trade him.”
- 11/20/2012 – At least one team official is “not sure” if Dickey agreeing to an extension is any guarantee he will not be traded this Winter.
- 11/27/2012 – Mets making little progress in signing Dickey to an extension.
- 11/28/2012 – If R.A. Dickey is signed to an extension it would “almost definitely” eliminate the possibility he is traded this off season.
- 11/30/2012 – Dickey would be content with a two-year extension on top of the existing $5 million owed in 2013.
- 12/1/2012 – Mets increased their offer to R.A. Dickey, but it’s unclear whether it’s close enough to what Dickey seeks in a two-year deal.
- 12/2/2012 – Regarding the Dickey negotiations both sides aren’t even close to a deal.
- 12/2/2012 – Texas Rangers are interested in trading for Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey.
- 12/3/2012 – Sources say Mets have gotten “serious” about trading R.A. Dickey as soon as this week.
- 12/3/2012 – Source says The Red Sox met with Mets to talk about possible trade for R.A. Dickey. Mets want Bogaerts and Bradley, Jr.
- 12/3/2012 – Source says the Dodgers have talked to the Mets about a trade for R.A. Dickey.
- 12/3/2012 – Source says Red Sox met with Mets and discussed the possibility of a trade involving R.A. Dickey. Mets looking for top Red Sox prospects Jackie Bradley, Jr., and shortstop Xander Boegarts.
- 12/4/2012 – Source says Mets have talked to at least eight teams (Royals, Orioles, Rangers, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Nationals) regarding a possible trade for R.A. Dickey
- 12/4/2012 – Source says Mets could get speedy SS Dee Gordon and top pitching prospect Zach Lee from Dodgers for Dickey.
- 12/9/2012 – Source says Texas expressed willingness to Mets to move Olt for Dickey but will take more than just Olt for Mets to move Dickey.
- 12/9/2012 – Source says dialogue between camps has resumed with modest “progress” toward Dickey extension since end of winter meetings.
- 12/11/2012 – A couple teams have offered one elite prospect for Dickey but Mets are holding out for multiple players back in a package.
- 12/11/2012 – Mets in the process of increasing offer to R.A. Dickey to 3 years $25M.
- 12/12/2012 – Mets brush off reports that they increased offer to Dickey to $20M. Mets are “not happy” that Dickey used holiday party to air his grievances.
} – 
68 comments
Stick
12/12/2012-12:35pm at 12:35 pm (UTC -4)
Differnet verse, same as the first…
boldib
12/12/2012-1:47pm at 1:47 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah….but I wonder about a man who doesn’t see a problem with spouting off about $25 million contract negotiations at a Xmas party for kids whose lives have been f_cked completely by Hurricane Sandy.
For the philisophical man of words, RA, this really lacks perspective. I’m disappointed.
kingman 26
12/12/2012-2:21pm at 2:21 pm (UTC -4)
Of all of today’s prominent pro athletes, Dickey might do as much or more for suffering kids–on multiple continents–than just about any of his colleagues.
I don’t know if this is on film, but for all we know reporters might have been badgering him, and it might have been out of earshot of the kids.
Not sure this is fair.
It is a very unique situation, and they are offering him a deal that is not only below clear market value, but also is quite low considering what he has received for his production the last three years.
boldib
12/12/2012-2:43pm at 2:43 pm (UTC -4)
Sorry Kong, but I can’t give him the benefit of the doubt on this regardless of what he’s done or what he’ll do in the future. Being badgered is no excuse either. It was ill-advised, poorly timed, poorly thought out and, like I said, disappointing.
Doesn’t mean I won’t root for him when he’s got the ball.
kingman 26
12/12/2012-3:00pm at 3:00 pm (UTC -4)
Perhaps, and again, I sure do not know the context.
And of course at an event like that it would have been better to not discuss or mention problems with being offered $20 million instead of $26M.
While I am generally also a very harsh critic on issues like this, if anyone deserves a pass on something like this surely it would be a man who literally climbed a mountain to raise awareness of abused children in Asia and who spends time raising money for underprivileged kids in Latin America.
But ultimately you are of course right.
boldib
12/12/2012-3:24pm at 3:24 pm (UTC -4)
I hope you’re right and my misgivings about RA getting lost in his own new found fame are baseless.
Can’t think of too many NY Mets I’ve liked more than this guy.
SaltyGary
12/12/2012-2:59pm at 2:59 pm (UTC -4)
Maybe the Mets shouldn’t of allowed reporters to interview players and team personal yesterday. Sandy did a press conference and Burkheart was designated to ask Dickey questions in front of a TV crew. If the organization didn’t want things like this to happen you have the party and that’s it. They brought it on themselves.
kingman 26
12/12/2012-3:02pm at 3:02 pm (UTC -4)
Also a very fine point.
srt
12/12/2012-3:08pm at 3:08 pm (UTC -4)
Or maybe…right or wrong….Dickey took the opportunity to volley back the serve on the Wilpons comments that they’re ‘concerned’ his new found success and off field endeavors will somehow interfere with his pitching.
Yeah….I can definitely see how that climb last Jan threw off his 2012 season.
And how tearing his stomach muscle in his 2nd start somehow derailed the rest of his season.
Or his book being published somehow interfered with his concentration on the way to winning 20 games.
*Rolling my eyes at the Wilpons*……
greggofboken
12/12/2012-3:15pm at 3:15 pm (UTC -4)
The Post’s comments about their concerns came after his comments.
But….there’s a serious lack of common sense when in the middle of a senstitive negotiation you leak your low-ball offer to the Daily News the day before the player involved is due to appear at a function like this….and you set up a media appearance for him.
A) Why leak your low-ball offer the day before?
B) Why invite Dickey? Was he the only option for “elf duty”?
Zed
12/12/2012-4:38pm at 4:38 pm (UTC -4)
It’s like inviting your estranged wife to a large family gathering telling her that you want to work things out after trying to get rid of her and showing how worthless you think she is. Then you’re Uncle Mike as her what’s up and she says “I want things to work out but if he doesn’t want me I’ll have to move on with my life”. So you call her a whore and tell her you want to resolve your differences, but only if she agrees with you.
Stick
12/12/2012-4:49pm at 4:49 pm (UTC -4)
sounds like SOP for the Mets.
srt
12/13/2012-8:25am at 8:25 am (UTC -4)
There were at least 2 articles that came out prior to that event saying the ownership had some personal issues with Dickey stalling the works, plus implying he’s too ‘chatty’ and an attention getter. One of those articles was by Davidoff, forget who the other was.
Where’s there’s smoke, there’s fire. If we heard the rumblings of a problem, I’m sure Dickey knows way more about it. That and KB took the opportunity at a charity event to question Dickey about it. I suppose Dickey could have said ‘no comment today, that’s not what this event is all about’, but he apparently chose not to.
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-3:14pm at 3:14 pm (UTC -4)
How is that saying again about the squeaky wheel?
darknova306
12/12/2012-3:35pm at 3:35 pm (UTC -4)
I agree completely. When Jeff Wilpon talked about this stuff while helping Sandy victims, we called him an idiot and said he should just shut up and do what he’s there to do. Dickey says something during a party for kids who had their lives disrupted from the same weather event, and we defend him earnestly. Double standards are fun, I guess.
Whether or not anyone agrees with what Dickey said, the fact is that it was very much the wrong venue. If the Wilpons did it, we’d KILL them for it. Let’s not hold people to different standards just because we like (Dickey) or dislike (the Wilpons) them.
kingman 26
12/12/2012-4:44pm at 4:44 pm (UTC -4)
Well, do you think that Jeff Wilpon has spent a load of time raising money for poor kids in Latin America or climbed a mountain to raise awareness of abuse of kids in Asia?
Again, not saying Dickey was right, but nobody’s perfect, and I am not sure that Dickey and Jeff Wilpon SHOULD be judged the same way, on merit, accomplishments, or charitable matters.
greggofboken
12/12/2012-4:58pm at 4:58 pm (UTC -4)
Jeff Wilpon may be a total tool, but the family does a strong amount of charity work, I believe. I can’t fault him on that front.
Stick
12/12/2012-5:01pm at 5:01 pm (UTC -4)
but can’t he at least afford a tupee that does not make him look like the evil love child of Moe Howard and Hitler?
greggofboken
12/12/2012-5:11pm at 5:11 pm (UTC -4)
No college means no shot on Jeopardy
No fashion sense: So nix on Project Runway
The Dickey negotions pretty much torch The Price Is Right
What’s left? I’m thinking The Apprentice
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-5:17pm at 5:17 pm (UTC -4)
Keeping with your theme I guess we can scratch “Undercover Boss” from the list as well.
darknova306
12/12/2012-9:56pm at 9:56 pm (UTC -4)
If you want to judge one person on a particular moral ground, you need to judge the other person on the same moral ground. Anything else is flat out hypocrisy. Even if you like the accomplishments of one person over the other, you still have to judge them against the same morality.
I’m not comparing their merit or accomplishments, I’m talking about how each of them was judged for talking about baseball matters at charitable events for victims of the same disaster. That’s what matters, not how good or bad you think the person is. If you want to judge Jeff Wilpon badly for talking about baseball matters while helping Sandy victims, then you HAVE TO judge Dickey badly for doing the EXACT SAME THING. Otherwise your opinion is purely emotional and very very far from rational and shouldn’t be taken very seriously.
kingman 26
12/12/2012-10:08pm at 10:08 pm (UTC -4)
Not sure I can agree.
I have never seen anything reported on Jeff Wilpon aside from him being a lazy, uneducated heir.
Sorry, but Dickey deserves to be judged differently than Jeff Wilpon.
darknova306
12/12/2012-10:38pm at 10:38 pm (UTC -4)
I’m not saying they should be judged the same on a personal level, I’m saying their actions should be judged by the same standards as each other. If you judge one’s action as bad, the same action from the other should be judged as bad. Simple rational logic. Otherwise your standards for judging people are just based on how much you like them, and that’s irrational and absolutely wrong.
Goorru
12/12/2012-5:41pm at 5:41 pm (UTC -4)
Dickey was asked questions and he answered them. The Mets invited the press there and obviously set aside time for the players to be asked questions. IF this was truly about “the kids” why was the press even there. I gave money and other various donations to Sandy victims, I didn’t call the press.
darknova306
12/12/2012-10:00pm at 10:00 pm (UTC -4)
When Jeff Wilpon was answering the press about baseball questions while helping Sandy victims, he didn’t get the same benefit of the doubt that you’re giving Dickey. This is the double standard I hate. Don’t blame the victim. “They should’ve known better than to invite the press”. That’s a logic fail. That puts the responsibility for Dickey’s statements on the Wilpons, when Dickey is the only person responsible for his statements. Don’t let your hate of the Wilpons cloud your rational reasoning. This is silly.
Goorru
12/12/2012-10:54pm at 10:54 pm (UTC -4)
I never said “they should have known better” more like, what do you expect. Also my response was to someone claiming that this somehow affects the children who are there. Really? How?
To me this is a non story that was somehow blown up by the Wilpons/Sandy’s false outrage. The Wilpons love playing PR games and this is just one more calculated move by them to try to discredit Dickey. Behind the scenes they probably LOVED the fact that Dickey spoke out so they could pounce on it. you fell for it hook, line and sinker.
darknova306
12/12/2012-11:02pm at 11:02 pm (UTC -4)
What exactly did I fall for “hook line and sinker”? Dickey shouldn’t have used that forum. The Wilpons inviting the media to a positive public relations event doesn’t absolve Dickey from the responsibility of using the forum for his own goals. I’m not disagreeing with what he said, and I definitely favor him in the back and forth between him and ownership, I just want his actions to be judged in the same framework that the Wilpons, or any other people out there, are judged. There’s nothing wrong with wanting consistency in how people’s actions are judged.
srt
12/13/2012-8:31am at 8:31 am (UTC -4)
I didn’t see anything wrong with Dickey’s comments.
He didn’t go after the FO or ownership. He didn’t bad mouth them.
It was ownership who made it personal…implying that DIckey’s new found notoriety and actions off the field might interfere with his concentration on the field.
Really stupid assumption, IMO.
Didn’t affect him last year on the way to winning 20 games – a year in which he pitched with a torn stomach muscle from game 2 on. He climbed Mt. K for charity, his book came out and any ‘notoriety’ didn’t affect his pitching. What makes Wilpon think it will be any different next season?
Stickguy
12/13/2012-8:34am at 8:34 am (UTC -4)
It’s a clown show, Bro.
and as long as the clown’s are in charge, it will continue to be a cut rate circus.
words of the day: clown and circus!
srt
12/13/2012-8:42am at 8:42 am (UTC -4)
LOL, Stick.
I think Jeff is better served not commenting on anything to do with Dickey’s extension and letting the GM he hired to do the talking.
If it’s not Fred saying Reyes won’t get Crawford money, it’s him saying Wright is a star but not a superstar or it’s Jeff trying to sound like he knows what he’s talking about.
Just let the man in charge to the talking to the media when it comes to individual players.
Sylow59
12/13/2012-9:56am at 9:56 am (UTC -4)
One was a social gathering for charity. The other was a disaster of epic proportions. One had nicely dressed people, the other had people trying to survive. They were not the same.
ColoradoMetsFan
12/12/2012-1:56pm at 1:56 pm (UTC -4)
Unless R.A. is done with the Mets and wanted to force their hand into making a trade, as the Wilpons are known to take things personally…
srt
12/12/2012-3:09pm at 3:09 pm (UTC -4)
Especially Jeff. That boy has a chip on his shoulder.
Prismo
12/12/2012-4:10pm at 4:10 pm (UTC -4)
*cough* entitled *cough* spoiled brat *cough*
TX
12/12/2012-4:41pm at 4:41 pm (UTC -4)
you typing in the middle of your hernia test?
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-4:49pm at 4:49 pm (UTC -4)
Hahahaha
kingman 26
12/12/2012-4:49pm at 4:49 pm (UTC -4)
He gives himself exams regularly…
SaltyGary
12/12/2012-4:42pm at 4:42 pm (UTC -4)
This is just classic. Go over to Mets Blog and look at the front page. It start’s with this line “lease, read this, it may help with the waiting…” and he sticky’d it and comments are turned off. The first thing that came to me head is some poor sap screaming at a lynch-mob on their way to storm the castle and asking them to reconsider.
Looks to me like the front office understands they over played their hand and know the poop is about to hit the fan.
SaltyGary
12/12/2012-4:45pm at 4:45 pm (UTC -4)
Fred Wilpon : “Hey Cerrone go slow them down why Jeff clears the safe out. Sandy get the car started. Saul get Buddy and Colonial Meow packed up. We are outsky boys!”
kingman 26
12/12/2012-4:47pm at 4:47 pm (UTC -4)
The fan is already buried in poop.
He did this a couple of times today, re-posting it ahead of the lead story so it would be seen first.
He has been getting slammed for it, AND for not allowing comments on it.
ColoradoMetsFan
12/12/2012-7:10pm at 7:10 pm (UTC -4)
I am in detox, but am basically done with MetsBlog. Cerrone’s “Read This” moment sans comments sealed the deal. Systemic fail…
kingman 26
12/12/2012-10:10pm at 10:10 pm (UTC -4)
That was bad news.
I really hope to continue seeing you here, and thanks for giving us a try.
Stick
12/12/2012-4:53pm at 4:53 pm (UTC -4)
reminds me of Animal House of course. Remain calm people!
And I am thinking that the Mets just may (behind the scenes, in the “real” books) resemble Madoff’s empire quite a bit. A house of cards, and one step ahead of the law.
Kind of like people that live paycheck to paycheck, although they kind quite stretch it, and have decide which bills to pay late, hoping they can cover the check.
SaltyGary
12/12/2012-4:57pm at 4:57 pm (UTC -4)
Stick
12/12/2012-5:00pm at 5:00 pm (UTC -4)
I love that movie.
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-5:04pm at 5:04 pm (UTC -4)
I think he would do better to just embed this video instead. LoL
SaltyGary
12/12/2012-5:09pm at 5:09 pm (UTC -4)
LOL @ Fozzie.
SaltyGary
12/12/2012-5:13pm at 5:13 pm (UTC -4)
That was great. To combine Rudy to Swingers to Last Star Fighter in one mash-up is pretty impressive.
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-5:13pm at 5:13 pm (UTC -4)
Patrick Stewart is still my favorite Star Trek captain.
SaltyGary
12/12/2012-5:17pm at 5:17 pm (UTC -4)
Was never a big trek guy but next generation was the most watchable IMO. All Star Wars for me.
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-5:26pm at 5:26 pm (UTC -4)
Oh hell yea Star Wars along with Clash of the Titans were 2 movies that greatly shaped my movie interests when I was young.
The new Star Wars Episode VII movie though has me a bit concerned since Disney bought LucasFilm.
TX
12/12/2012-5:42pm at 5:42 pm (UTC -4)
Empire Strikes back, Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, in that order and the rest all sucked.
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-5:47pm at 5:47 pm (UTC -4)
Come on you going to tell me seeing a young Anakin Skywalker and how he became a Sith lord sucked?
TX
12/12/2012-6:01pm at 6:01 pm (UTC -4)
Jar Jar ruined the 1st, and the acting, other than my lady Natalie and my man Ewan, was pretty bad.
And it drove me nuts they had to explain everything. This is what the force is, this is what that is, etc. etc.
What’s your thoughts on Dune?
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-6:08pm at 6:08 pm (UTC -4)
I recently watched Dune again and talk about a story worth redoing again for the big screen. Dune is it.
I am such a geek but I never get tired of the scene where Muad’Dib’s lil sister says at the end “…he is the Kwisatz Haderach! “
Saltygary
12/12/2012-6:13pm at 6:13 pm (UTC -4)
He’ll yea on COT Jerz. As for new ones it was mixed bag for me. There were parts that were amazing and parts that really sucked. The opening to the third one with Anakin flying next to Obi Wan is everything that is right about SW. The courting between Anakin and Padami was as bad as it gets. As for Disney I haven’t processed it fully. I am currently planning a trip there and it will be my fifth year in a row ( we are bought into their time share system). I hate people and vacations with people but love Disney. If any company had to own it they are the right one with the right resources but it doesn’t mean tht I’m not worried.
TX
12/12/2012-6:26pm at 6:26 pm (UTC -4)
They did redo it on like the scifi channel or something like that. Was decent, but not the original by any means. It would be awesome if they had someone like James Cameron redo it, Avatar style
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-6:33pm at 6:33 pm (UTC -4)
No that was a continuation of Dune decades later I believe. What I mean is a full relaunch of the original story of Paul Atreides and the Fremen people.
Stick
12/12/2012-4:59pm at 4:59 pm (UTC -4)
Maybe Sandy is taking a page from the Jerry playbook?
want out, but not want to forfeit the paycheck, so do everything you can to give the team the proverbial middle finger, hoping they fire you so you can have a paid vacation?
Hell, after 2 years with this circus, at age 65, who knows if Sandy even wants to work any longer at a “real” job. I am sure he can get all the consulting type gigs he wants, or can go back to the life of luxury at MLB home office (even if not angling for Bud’s job).
And I am more and more convinced that Jeffy is ramping back up into being the real GM, though he does not have the balls to take the title and accept the heat. And Sandy has to be tired of him sticking his nose in more and more.
I also bet that is why he got JP extended for some unknown reason, to take care of his worthless ass too.
so Sandy is walking soon, and Jeffy grabs power back, with JP as the stooge having his strings pulled. And probably fine with it, considering what he gets paid to sit home and do jack doodle.
The Mets have been a clown show ever since Nelson bailed, and there is only 1 constant in the equation.
srt
12/13/2012-8:37am at 8:37 am (UTC -4)
‘or can go back to the life of luxury at MLB home office (even if not angling for Bud’s job).’
This is the #1 reason I keep going back to ‘don’t shoot the messenger’. Think about it….what possible reason could Sandy have for giving up that job at MLB in his mid 60s and coming over to the Mets to GM what was about to be a circus? When Selig asked him to do that favor, I can only assume Sandy asked: ‘what’s in it for me?’. He has to be getting something out of this. He’s already been a GM and had moved on/up. There would be no reason for him to take this job unless he was getting something out of it.
Stickguy
12/13/2012-8:40am at 8:40 am (UTC -4)
agreed. but he could at least put some effort into the small parts of the job to try and improve the team. He really does not seem to care at all, and it is not true they are building anything for the future.
Goorru
12/12/2012-5:31pm at 5:31 pm (UTC -4)
Correct me if I am wrong but if Sandy signs Dickey to a contract, doesn’t that make him untradeable until the season by league rules?
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-5:34pm at 5:34 pm (UTC -4)
Don’t know. Any particular reason you ask?
Goorru
12/12/2012-5:44pm at 5:44 pm (UTC -4)
Well if the main objective was to trade Dickey and this was the case, why would they offer Dickey a contract other than to scare Dickey and try to force him to sign that ridiculous offer 2 for $14 million.
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-5:51pm at 5:51 pm (UTC -4)
I still don’t see the connection to your original question but my guess is signing Dickey to an extension is 1B to them first trying to see if they can improve the team better via a trade which is 1A where Dickey is concerned.
Goorru
12/12/2012-6:34pm at 6:34 pm (UTC -4)
They initially offered him an extension of 2 for 14 before trying to trade him, If he takes that isn’t that plan 1A.
Mr North Jersey
12/12/2012-6:49pm at 6:49 pm (UTC -4)
Ahh, well I would say that if he signed at whatever the original offer was they would view that as better than trading him.
I can only speculate that they believe he would not accept their original offer and have taken a much more patient approach with the intention on seeing if another team gives them something they feel makes the team better than the alternative of signing him.
They would like to resign him publicly but they along with Dickey and his agent have already said they understand that trading Dickey is also a option they are exploring.
The Mets, Dickey and his agent all understand that the Mets are considering their options as to keeping or trading Dickey. What I think happened and again this is mere speculation on my part is that Dickey prepared himself mentally for a possible trade occurring sometime during the winter meetings and if not an extension to be hammered out and when it didn’t and he was still left waiting he started to become more concerned in a rather public way as to why there has been no resolution.
Especially with Jeff Wilpon talking about the possibility that Dickey plays out his contract. Something Dickey has said he does not look forward to.
I am more attentive to anything his agent says as a sign to how talks are progressing since all last week he was very public and understanding with how talks were progressing.
Mr North Jersey
12/13/2012-9:52am at 9:52 am (UTC -4)
SRT, I wanted to reply to where you said,
“It was ownership who made it personal…implying that DIckey’s new found notoriety and actions off the field might interfere with his concentration on the field.”
No one knows if indeed this was said by ownership or when or in what context it was said in to begin with. The Post mentioned this but to run with this as fact in my opinion is a bit of a leap of faith.