Cy Young Award Winner on the Move

The Toronto Blue Jays continued a dramatic offseason of improvements by agreeing to a trade with the New York Mets. The most prominent player in the deal is Cy Young winner, R.A. Dickey. Dickey had an impressive year last year with 20 wins and an ERA of 2.73. The Blue Jays are hoping to see some of his impressive play this year and beyond.

R.A. Dickey was looking for an extension in order for the trade to be completed. The Blue Jays agreed to extend his contract for two years at a value of $25 million dollars. The specifics of the trade have the Blue Jays receiving Dickey and Josh Thole. The Mets will be receiving Travis d'Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, John Buck and potentially more prospects in return. Travis d'Arnaud is a catching prospect that is highly regarded throughout the league.

The Blue Jays have really made a push to be relevant next season. The starting rotation for the Jays looks quite impressive after this offseason of moves. The rotation will include R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow, and Rickey Romero. The Blue Jays should have a chance to compete in the very competitive AL East next season with a starting rotation and starting lineup with great potential.

The benefits for the Blue Jays in the deal are obvious, I do believe the Mets also did great work making this move. I do not think that this deal will help the Mets win next season, but it is good for the future. It is tough to say now, but if catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud plays to the potential that he is expected to have, the Mets may have a catcher for the long term. Pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard also has great potential to be a front end starting rotation player. Although R.A. Dickey had a magical season last year, he is 38 years old and is unlikely to see that type of success again.

Final Thought
The Blue Jays are making the necessary moves in order to compete next season. They have dramatically improved the pitching staff and made improvements to the starting lineup. I believe they will compete for the AL East title if they stay healthy and perform up to potential. Although this was a good move for the Blue Jays, this was a great deal for the New York Mets. They got great value off a 38 year old Cy Young Award winner and set up a team that can have great young players in the near future. Rarely do I see a trade that I believe greatly benefits both teams, but I believe this deal may do just that.

@dmrosen7