R.A. Dickey Trade: What the Future Holds for Travis D'Arnaud, New York Mets

The New York Mets have sent R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays, and the identity of the franchise, into a state of flux, hoping to reach the playoffs by 2015.

For Sandy Alderson and the front office of the New York Mets, it became clear that their management is planning for the season of 2015 rather than 2013. The fact of the matter is that the Mets have a strategy in mind, and it has everything to do with the prospects rising within their system.

The Mets may be admitting defeat, but they also realize they will not contend for the next couple of seasons. And while it’s difficult for me to write an article praising the departure of my favorite player in the MLB from my favorite team, it’s easy to see why the Mets made this trade.   

With constant unwelcoming reminders, it’s never hard to forget that baseball is a competitive game, and one rooted in business. If the price isn’t right to make your team the best that it can be over the long haul, the pieces simply won’t fit into the puzzle.

Keeping R.A. Dickey until he was 41 years old simply was not what they foresaw as the best option for their success, as they capitalized on a market hungry for starting pitching.

“I recognize this is an entertainment business and it was great to have R.A. here,” said Mets GM Sandy Alderson. “Were we not able to get the quality in return … I expect R.A. would have remained a Met.”

If you’re looking for a piece on how the Mets mistreated Dickey and threw him under the bus, it’s true. The Mets showed very little appreciation for R.A. Dickey and the wonderful things he has contributed to the game of baseball in the past two years. And you don’t need me to convince you of this once more, especially when so many other writers are arguing this.

Ultimately, the Mets made a smart baseball decision in their move to pick up Travis D’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard.

This follows a trend of impressive moves from Alderson, who now has gotten extremely high value for both Carlos Beltran and R.A. Dickey when testing the trade market.

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