Mack Stuff – RA Dickey, Jeff Keppinger, David Wright, Mike Olt, $3Bil Payroll

Twins announce Doug Mientkiewicz will manage Class A Fort Myers Miracle.

Ike, Dickey and John Franco at Holiday Party.

                It looks like RA is back in the PR graces for the Mets. I mean, you don’t want to be sending out someone to feed the poor that you’re about to trade to another team. The whole Kansas City, Toronto, and Texas drama seems to have calmed down and it seems like the Mets will either go into the 2013 season with Dickey signed to an additional two years, or hanging out there with the remainder of the 2013 season in limbo. There seems to be too much good blood in this relationship to let this happen. Sandy Alderson comes away from the Myers mess now knowing he didn’t have a clue as to the going rate out there right now. You know, my daughter went into the Plaza hotel two years ago with a girlfriend and they each had a Bloody Mary. The cost was $90. Yes, $45 a Bloody Mary, and, it only had one olive (and a shrimp) on the toothpick, but it didn’t matter if it was worth it because… it was the going rate. The Mets should have gotten the Myers deal done, but I’m not sure if Dickey is the kind of pitcher every team will sign off on. At this point, sign him for two more, let him strengthen the rotation while kids like Zack Wheeler mature, and let’s look to solve our problems in other ways. Frankly, I’d take the draft picks, but that’s just me.

White Sox signed INF Jeff Keppinger to a three-year, $12 million contract.

                So, would you like a new approach to meeting head on the free agent market. Fine… go home, fall down the stairs, break your right fibula, then call uou your agent and sit back and wait for some team like the White Sox to offer you 3-yrs, $12mil. It seems like Kep was just a Mets prospect a few years ago, but he will play next season at 33. Just came off his best year .325/.367/.439/.806, 9-HR,  40 RBI. Good for him.

”Honestly. It wouldn’t mean as much to me winning somewhere else as it would obviously winning here,”
                  David Wright

Ya know, he really means that. I got to observe Wright much more than I got to know him over the three years I was allowed in the clubhouse. You learn two things about him. One, he either tells you exactly how he feels... or two, he doesn't say a damn thing. 

David Wright has been a New York Met since he rooted for their minor league affiliate in his hometown of Norfolk. He could't say out loud things he shared with Jeff Wilpon over that now famous hamburger. He was going to sign with the Mets all the long and it was up to the Mets to not take advantage of that.

They didn't and both came off as a class act here.

Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler - Probably, but he's a superb defender at 3B RT @Ben_Yoel Do you think Mike Olt can handle playing LF/RF on a regular basis?

                 these are the guys that are supposed to be experts in this kind of thing, but I still have problems risking a sure bet like last year's Cy Young winner on someone that hasn't played the position you want him to play. Only again, construct me a three-way deal and deal off Olt for a real outfielder.

“MLB end of year player payrolls for 2012 will surpass $3 billion for the first time, ever.” – Maury Brown

                  30 teams... this is crazy...