R.A. Dickey Says His Relationship with Sandy Alderson Didn’t Have Anything to do with Trade from Mets to Blue Jays
December 19, 2012 – 6:10 am by Brad Gagnon
For the first time this century, a reigning Cy Young Award winner has changed teams. And in the process, R.A. Dickey has been reunited with former New York Mets teammate Jose Reyes in Toronto, where the Blue Jays are suddenly becoming an unexpected favorite in the American League.
R.A. Dickey joined Joe and Evan on WFAN in New York to discuss his trade to the Toronto Blue Jays, his relationship with New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson and the Mets franchise in general, and to talk about his new opportunity for success with the Jays.
On having a shot in Toronto:
“We got a shot, you know? That’s what my hope was. If I was gonna get traded, I felt I wanted to go somewhere I thought we had a shot, and I think we do.”
On if he thought there was any way this had a chance of happening when he was walking off the mound after winning his 20th game last season:
“No, it was nowhere in my scope. And I was so kind of enthralled with the moment, with the fans and all that, that I don’t know I had much thought for anything else at that point. But I didn’t really think that that was going to be the last time I stepped foot as a New York Met on that mound, that’s for sure.”
On not holding a grudge against the Mets:
“I think it was a situation where Sandy saw an opportunity to capitalize on the value that I had at the moment and was able to do that, and I don’t — there’s no begrudging or no acrimony in this. I completely get it and understand. … I’ve said all along that I want what’s good for the Mets. That was the team that helped me redeem my career. … In that regard, if this was the way I made the Mets better, then this is the way I made them better. And I get it. And I know Sandy’s paid to do a job and that job is to make the New York Mets better, not just for one year but for multiple years. Everybody wants to look and say, ‘Hey, who won the trade? Did the Mets win?’ I say, in my opinion, it can be both. I think you can have a good trade for both teams.”
On his relationship with general manager Sandy Alderson:
“I’ve always had a fantastic relationship with Sandy, to be perfectly frank with you. I’ve really enjoyed him as a general manager and someone who I really believe in his leadership. I still do. He knows what he’s doing. As far as some of the stuff that’s been written recently, I don’t have any control over that. I certainly don’t agree with it and think it’s sad. But I don’t think it had anything to do with this trade.”
On his new opportunity in Toronto:
“I don’t know if anything would ever replace my time as a Met, the connection I felt with New York. But at the same time, my sadness has recently been replaced with excitement because I’m going into a culture that really is in a win-now mode. And not just for next year, but it looks like, on paper, the players are under control for us to be able to win long-term as well, over the next three-to-five years. So you never know what’s gonna happen — you could have the best team on paper and it doesn’t work out on the field, but in this particular case, I know Jose Reyes, I know Mark Buehrle, I know Josh Johnson, I know Brandon Morrow. And I know a lot of the other guys on the team, and I know what the culture of the clubhouse is probably gonna look like. And so I don’t think that’s gonna be something that’s gonna stand in our way. So if you have a good package on the field and a good dynamic in the clubhouse, the sky can be the limit. And so that’s what I’m so excited about, and the fact that you get to go somewhere where you’re really wanted. Alex Anthopoulos came to Nashville, Tenn., and really looked me in the eye and said, ‘We think you’re the missing piece to this and we want you badly. And we think we’re going to plug you in and we’re going to be a World Series contender and we sure hope that that’s what we are.’ Man, that’s exciting to anybody.”
Listen to R.A. Dickey on WFAN here
Tags: AL East, Alex Anthopoulos, Cy Young Award, Jose Reyes, MLB, New York Mets, R.A Dickey, Sandy Alderson, Toronto Blue Jays
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