NEW YORK - R.A. Dickey picked up his phone on Saturday, and Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told the NL Cy Young Award winner he had 72 hours to negotiate a contract with the Blue Jays.
"OK, here we go. I probably am never going to be a Met again," Dickey remembered thinking. "I think I had a wash of just numbness come over me, really."
A day after he was traded to Toronto and finalized a $30 million, three-year contract with the Blue Jays, the 38-year-old knuckleballer talked about his exit from New York after three seasons that revived his career.
"I think it's important for me to grieve leaving New York," he said Tuesday. "I had a proverbial home there. I had a home among fans. I had a home in an organization. I had a lot of success there, and I think it's important for me to be sad about that for a moment before I move on to the next feeling."
That next feeling is glee about joining the amped-up Blue Jays, who have added five All-Stars during the offseason, with Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Melky Cabrera preceding Dickey north.
"I can't tell you how excited I am to be part of an organization that's committed to winning and putting a product on the field that the fans can be excited about," Dickey said.
Dickey was 20-6 in 2012 with a 2.73 ERA and led the NL with 230 strikeouts.
Inside pitch
• John Lannan signed a $2.5 million, one-year contract with the Phillies on Tuesday.
Lannan, 28, was 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA in six starts for the Nationals this year.
• The A's finalized a $6.5 million, two-year contract with Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima on Tuesday, filling a void created by the departures of Cliff Pennington and Stephen Drew.
• The Rays have signed right-hander Roberto Hernandez, the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona. The one-year deal announced Tuesday is worth $3.25 million. Hernandez is 32.
• Right-handed reliever Santiago Casilla has completed a $15 million, three-year contract with the Giants.
• Anibal Sanchez agreed to an $80 million, five-year deal with Detroit, which includes a $5 million buyout if the Tigers decline his option. If Detroit exercises his option for 2018, he would make $16 million that year.
• Mike Pelfrey, once a promising prospect for the Mets, agreed to terms with the the Twins on a $4 million, one-year contract.
Pelfrey, 28, is coming off of Tommy John surgery.
• Carlos Peña agreed to a $2.9 million, one-year contract with with the Astros.
• The Mets obtained outfielder Collin Cowgill from Oakland for minor-league infielder Jefry Marte.
Please Wait…