A year ago R.A. Dickey was better known because of this Mad Dog Russo rant from 2008 than anything he’d done on the playing field. A year later we have heard about the missing ligament, his passion for reading, and bicycling to work. Most important, we know the man can pitch at a high level in the big leagues. One of the reasons the Mets can survive Johan Santana‘s absence is the presence of a rejuvenated Dickey.

I expect 200 innings, 15 wins, and an ERA around 3.50 from him this season. The Mets will have to win games similar to the 1999 edition: good offense, good bullpen, and just enough starting pitching. The presence of Dickey should take some pressure off Mike Pelfrey, and more importantly, Jonathon Niese, so they don’t have to unfairly feel the burden. Hearing Dickey talk about his craft, you know he is ready to continue to improve and take the responsibility of being the teams “ace” during the absence of Santana.

Despite a career year in 2010, I still believe Dickey provides the Mets great value. They signed him this offseason to a 2 year $7.8 million dollar deal with a club option. Last year Fangraphs had his performance valued at over $11 million dollars. One of the smartest moves that Sandy Alderson made to date was locking Dickey up before he became a free agent.

Although many laughed when I suggested this on Twitter, I believe Dickey could have received a 3 year/$30 million dollar deal next winter if he repeated his performance this year. Taking away the top tier starters that could be available – CC Sabathia, Mark Buehrle, Adam Wainwright- and Dickey could be one of the best of the remaining.

Jeff Suppan, Ted Lilly, and Randy Wolf all have signed 3 to 4 year deals in recent years while producing similar seasons. The only difference between those guys and Dickey is a funky pitch and age. That pitch negates the age, and makes him far less an injury factor.

If you haven’t sat down with R.A. Dickey and talked about his big league journey you have every right to be skeptical about a repeat performance. The difference between Dickey and other “one hit wonders” is he understands why he was successful in 2010, and what he needs to do to stay there. They say luck is the product of design, and Dickey’s recent success embodies that statement.

Dickey will provide the Mets with the quality starts, innings, and performance that would have cost them $40 million dollars on the free agent market for only $8 million the next two years. According to my math that could be considered a steal.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: New York Mets, R.A Dickey