Sandy Alderson Speaks About Dickey Trade

Following the official completion of the trade that sent R.A. Dickey, Josh Thole, and Mike Nickeas to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Travis d'Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, John Buck, and Wuilmer Becerra, Sandy Alderson spoke to the media. Here's some of what he had to say, via Twitter:

Sandy Alderson: "We feel that players acquired in this deal, Buck and d'Arnaud in particular will made contributions in 2013."

— New York Mets (@Mets) December 17, 2012

d'Arnaud will be under the Mets' control for an extra year if they wait a few weeks to call him up to the big leagues in 2013. It sounds like that will happen.

Alderson: "We will acquire a starting pitcher and we can offer a spot in the rotation. Long time between now and February."

— New York Mets (@Mets) December 18, 2012

Shaun Marcum is still available and would be a preferable option to Jenrry Mejia. Perhaps he or another starting pitcher can be signed for a reasonable, short-term deal.

Alderson: "We do expect to do some other things. We do expect to acquire some other players. We're certainly not punting on 2013."

— New York Mets (@Mets) December 17, 2012

Yes, it's Alderson's job to say the Mets are not punting in any given season, but the team's Opening Day roster is far from certain at the moment. In all likelihood, the Mets will finish third or fourth in the National League East, but that doesn't mean the 2013 season is over before it begins. His statement is fair, even if the odds are stacked against the Mets.