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New York Mets RHP R.A. Dickey underwent surgery in Philadelphia today to repair a torn abdominal muscle that has bothered him for the past six months. Surprisingly enough, Dickey pitched for five months with what he called a dull pain that only flared up from time to time as he produced one of the greatest seasons by any Mets pitcher in their history.
The question begs if Dickey, at almost 38 years old, will be able to give the Mets three or four more quality seasons because of his late start to his career, or if this is merely the beginning of other areas beside the arm that will break down? I’m sure nobody could give a definitive answer, but it is surely something the Mets must consider before offering upwards of $40million for a player of his age.
At this point in his career, Dickey has defied the odds by posting some of the best numbers in the majors over the past two MLB seasons. Since signing a contract extension after the 2010 season, Dickey is 28-19 for the Mets and ranks sixth in the majors with 442 1/3 innings pitched. He also has been amongst the leaders in ERA, complete games and shutouts, while posting CY Young candidate numbers this past season.
It is definitely enough for Dickey to get the contract that many feel he deserves, but should the Mets bite? I would love for the Mets to be able to retain Dickey, but at his age, I am not sure if that should be a feasible move for the team. Sandy Alderson can get a lot in return for a pitcher like Dickey if he offers him up on the trade market, and with the state of the club, this should be seriously considered.
What happens if the Mets give Dickey the Oliver Perez treatment and reward him for his services, and father time catches up? This franchise will be once again left holding a bill for an unproductive player that fans have seen all too often over the past several years. As much as it pains me to say, the best situation would be to get as much for Dickey now as you can, especially if the Wilpons are looking to decrease payroll.
I appreciate watching Dickey in the orange and blue pinstripes and will never forget this magical year that he had. Dickey gave Mets fans something to root for in dire circumstances and will go down as one of the fan favorites. I just hope sentimentality does not play into this decision, because all along the roots of the Mets, that has always come back to burden the club. In this case, I wish Dickey a speedy recovery and can only hope that he can help this club one more time by being the player that brings back pieces for the long term future rather than the short term stress.
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