R.A. Dickey rumors: Knuckleballer not happy with Mets

It appeared yesterday morning that talks between the Mets and R.A. Dickey might be headed in the right direction, with New York upping their offer to the knuckleballer. That is definitively not the case, at least from Dickey’s perspective.

The right-hander had some choice words for the organization yesterday at a holiday fundraiser for schoolchildren put on by the Mets, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN:

R.A. Dickey offered strong words Tuesday for Mets brass: If he is unsigned to an extension this offseason, Dickey predicted he would be a goner for 2014 as a free agent.

Dickey added that he's being ultra-reasonable in his extension demands.

The Mets responded by expressing their displeasure at Dickey making the remarks in the forum he did, which will probably not go a long way towards mending what appears to growing rift between the two sides.

Given that Jeremy Guthrie signed for three years and $25 million and Joe Blanton signed for two years and $15 million already this offseason – neither having come anywhere near a Cy Young vote, let alone win the award – Dickey’s demand for a two-year, $26 million extension does seem "ultra-reasonable."

The 38-year-old knuckleballer is signed with the Mets through the 2013 season for $5 million, but may find himself traded away in the next few weeks if the two sides continue to fail to find common ground.