Mets Trade R.A. Dickey to Blue Jays for top catching prospect

Well Fred and Jeff Wilpon can take a sigh of relief. They don't have to pay $5 million to R.A. Dickey.

The Mets dealt their best pitcher, and reigning Cy Young award winner, R.A. Dickey, to the Toronto Blue Jays for catching prospect Travis D'Arnaud, who is regarded as one of the "best young catching prospects" in baseball. However, D'Arnaud has never made a major league appearance, and is coming knee surgery.

Before getting injured, D'Arnaud batted .333 with 16 homers. The Mets better hope that D'Arnaud contributes quickly and makes a major impact on this ball club, because it is not often that a team decides to rid itself of its best pitcher who won 20 games the prior season.

While one can argue that the Mets should keep Dickey, trading a 38-year-old pitcher, who may eventually be on the decline for a young talented prospect is a no-brainer on paper. Dickey had a great year in 2012, but does anyone really think he can replicate what he was able to do last season?

That being said, the way the Mets handled this situation was awful. They dragged Dickey through the mud, when he was more than grateful for the opportunity the Mets gave him over the past three years. Dickey and the Mets were $6 million apart - surely a price differential that could have been negotiated.

Instead the Mets trounced Dickey's value, publicly stating that they wanted to re-sign Dickey, and trade him at the same time. By doing this it made it nearly impossible for the Mets to get any true top prospect from any team curious to acquire the Cy Young winner. D'Arnaud might turn into the next Mike Piazza, but the Mets could have gotten more value for Dickey if they didn't lower his value publicly through the press.

Dickey will be missed. He was a great guy to have in the clubhouse, and proved to be the Mets most consistent starting pitcher. The Mets' now have a bunch of young, inexperienced pitchers, who have yet to prove they can be the "ace" that this team desperately needs.

If Dickey wins 15 games, and D'Arnaud never contributes at the major league level, this trade will be looked at as a disaster. Sandy Alderson better hope this works out.