Blue Jays Trade for R.A. Dickey Almost a Done Deal

It appears last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner is heading north of the border.

According to FoxSports.com via ESPN, The Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets have reached an agreement on a multi-player trade that would send knuckleball thrower R.A. Dickey and catcher Josh Thole to Toronto for catcher John Buck, minor-league right-hander Noah Syndergaard and highly-valued catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud.

There’s just one thing that needs to be finalized before it’s official: Dickey’s contract.

Dickey was in the middle of a contract extension negotiation with the Mets and until that is cleared up, he won’t be going anywhere. Dickey is currently under contract for $5 for 2013, but was seeking an additional $26-$28 million from the Mets for the next two seasons. Dickey and the team have until Tuesday 2 p.m. ET to agree on the extension.

Assuming all goes well, the Blue Jays will be adding another integral piece to a burgeoning starting rotation that already includes Josh Johnson and Mark Buehlre. With a healthy Dickey in the mix, the Blue Jays may be a dark horse contender in the AL East with a down Red Sox team and plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Yankees and the Rays.

Dickey enjoyed the best season of his career last year in New York by far, with a 20-6 record and a 2.73 ERA. Dickey’s knuckleball style aided him in striking out 230 hitters, something the Blue Jays could definitely utilize in their division against foes with big bats.

Of course, it’s reasonable to assume he may not be able to put up the same numbers in the AL. With designated hitters and plenty of power-laden lineups, the knuckleball might go sailing over the fence from time to time, but there’s no doubt that the acquisition of Dickey would help the Jays.

It’s also got to be exciting for Toronto fans, knowing that their team is actually going after big name players. For years the Blue Jays have wallowed in mediocrity with a team that has potential. Now, they may become a real player in the East race, as long as Toronto, New York and Dickey seal the deal. We’ll find out by tomorrow morning at the latest.