Gettin' Iggy With It: Up At The Crack of Ass To Talk About Trading One

"Hey, Cole Hamels!  What's that on your lip?"

Good afternoon, everyone!  This is Iggy Beartran, sister to Studious Metsimus roving reporter Joey Beartran and expert on all things Cole Hamels.  Normally, I like to sleep in on Saturdays, but upon hearing yesterday's news about the Phillies looking to trade their resident ass, I had to wake up early to discuss this news with our readers (assuming any of you are awake at this time).

On Friday, several reports had Hamels updating his no-trade clause, which currently includes 20 teams he cannot be dealt to without his consent (the Mets are on this list because he knows Citi Field is a "no ass zone").  Interim team president Pat Gillick acknowledged that he doesn't expect the Phillies to be competitive for at least three seasons.  Therefore, keeping a $24 million a year pitcher until the final years of his contract when he's in his mid-30s and not as tradeable - well, that would be (ahem) phoolish.  Almost as foolish as the team giving him a six-year, $144 million deal to begin with.  Not to mention Ryan Howard's albatross of a contract, which still has two years and $50 million left on it, plus a $10 million buyout for the 2017 season.

Let's look at what the Phillies' version of the "core four" has done over the past few years and see how tradeable those players are.

Jimmy Rollins

Jimmy Rollins is entering the final year of his four-year, $44 million contract.  His career numbers are excellent (479 doubles, 111 triples, 216 homers, 453 stolen bases, 1,325 runs scored), but his best seasons are behind him.  Way, way behind him.  Rollins has batted over .252 just once in the last six seasons and has a .318 on-base percentage and .397 slugging percentage over that same time period.  That means Ruben Tejada has a better chance of reaching base (Tejada has a .328 OBP in five seasons as a Met) and Daniel Murphy can outslug the former NL MVP (Murphy has a lifetime .419 slugging percentage in six seasons despite never hitting more than 13 homers over a full season).

Oh, and did I mention that Rollins has made the third-most outs in the National League since 2009?  I didn't?  Well, I am now.  In fact, let's compare him to some of those other "out-makers".

Player	Outs Made	From	To	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Hunter Pence	2812	2009	2014	26-31	953	4056	3701	537	1042	183	143	537	.282	.338	.464	.803
Brandon Phillips	2703	2009	2014	28-33	877	3794	3468	482	960	180	100	470	.277	.326	.424	.750
Jimmy Rollins	2625	2009	2014	30-35	839	3724	3359	480	845	172	91	343	.252	.318	.397	.714
Justin Upton	2510	2009	2014	21-26	883	3745	3291	540	919	181	147	482	.279	.357	.482	.839

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/25/2014.

From 2009 to 2014, the top four out-makers in the National League include Hunter Pence, Brandon Phillips, Justin Upton and Rollins.  Rollins has put himself on this list despite playing the fewest games of the foursome and having the fewest plate appearances, at-bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, homers and runs batted in.  He also has the lowest batting average (by far), on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.  And most importantly, Rollins is the oldest player in the out-making firm of Pence, Phillips, Upton and Rollins.

If any team wants a soon-to-be 36-year-old shortstop who can learn a thing or two about reaching base from Ruben Tejada and slugging from Daniel Murphy, and who's only consistent about one thing at his advanced age - making outs - then Rollins is the man that team should target.  The bottom line is that Rollins is practically untradeable, especially if his decline continues in 2015.

Ryan Howard

Ryan Howard was once known for being one of the most feared hitters in the league, averaging 44 HR and 133 RBI from 2006 to 2011.  But beginning in 2012 (the first season of his five-year, $125 million contract), Howard has been known for a few "s"-words - strikeouts, Subway sandwiches and suckitude.

Over the past three seasons, Howard has averaged 101 games played per year due to an assortment of injuries, but that hasn't stopped him from striking out at an alarming rate.  Howard has whiffed 128 times per season since 2012 despite missing 182 games.  He has also averaged 16 homers and 65 RBI per year since 2012, and hit just 23 homers in 2014 despite being healthy all season (153 games played).  Howard had a career-low .380 slugging percentage in 2014 and led the majors in strikeouts with 190.  That's what $25 million a year buys the Phillies these days.

But hey, at least that kind of green can buy Howard all the Subway sandwiches he can eat (or are those called hoagies in Philadelphia?).

(GIF courtesy of Bill Baer at Crashburn Alley)

Chase Utley

In 2014, Chase Utley played 150+ games for the first time since 2009, but his final numbers were nowhere near what he produced in the Phillies' last pennant-winning season.  In 2009, Utley produced a .282/.397/.508 slash line, hit 31 homers (his third 30-homer campaign) and set new career highs with 23 stolen bases and 88 walks.  Five years later, Utley's first injury-free season since 2009 saw him produce a .270/.339/.407 slash line, 11 home runs, 10 stolen bases and just 53 walks.

Looking at Utley's five-year peak from 2005 to 2009 and comparing that to his last five years shows that Utley is a shadow of his former self.

• 2005-09: 151 games, .301/.388/.535, 39 doubles, 29 HR, 101 RBI, 111 runs scored
• 2010-14: 117 games, .270/.355/.435, 23 doubles, 13 HR, 60 RBI, 65 runs scored

Because of Utley's injury-free season in 2014, his $10 million salary in 2015 jumps up to $15 million, as there was a clause in his contract that guaranteed the 50% increase if he did not spend time on the disabled list with a knee injury in 2014.  A similar campaign will cause a $15 million option to kick in for 2016.  The same option applies to the 2017 and 2018 seasons.  Utley will earn $15 million per year if he collects 500 or more plate appearances in his previous campaign.  For the record, Utley played in 115 games in 2010 and 131 games in 2013, but still reached 500 plate appearances in both seasons.  In other words, the Phillies might be rooting for a long stint on the disabled list for their second baseman just to get out of a contract that could pay Utley $60 million between now and his age 39 season in 2018.

How are the Phillies going to be able to trade a guy who hasn't had a great season since 2009 to a team that would have to pay him top dollar if he stays on the field?  Utley's staying, for better or for worse.  Probably for worse.

Cole Hamels

And that brings us back to Cole Hamels.  The smiling ass still has four years and $96 million left on a contract that will pay him until he's 34, which means he'll be younger at the end of the deal than Rollins, Howard and Utley are right now.

As much as Hamels sucks against the Mets (ha, ha!), he is very good against everyone else.  In 2014, Hamels produced a career-best 2.46 ERA, reaching 200 innings for the sixth time in seven seasons.  Over the last five years, Hamels has averaged a 3.00 ERA, 1.119 WHIP and 204 strikeouts per season.  He is one of six pitchers to have 1,000 or more strikeouts since 2010.  The others are Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and David Price.  You probably recognize those names as pitchers who have won the Cy Young Award.  In fact, there are only three pitchers in all of baseball who have produced an ERA of 3.00 or lower, a WHIP not exceeding 1.12 and 1,000 strikeouts over the last five seasons.  Those pitchers are Kershaw, Hernandez and Hamels.

In other words, Cole Hamels might be an ass, but he's a mighty fine ass.

And this is a mighty fine picture of Cole Hamels.

Cole Hamels is just 30 years old (he'll be 31 in December).  Unlike his older homegrown teammates, Hamels is still quite productive, meaning he's actually earning his exorbitant salary.  But all of his quality starts have done little to help the Phillies win.  Over the last two seasons, Hamels has allowed two runs or fewer in 39 starts.  The Phillies lost 18 of those games.

Here is a list of every pitcher since 1901 who did not reach double digits in victories during a year in which he made at least 30 starts and produced a sub-2.50 ERA.

Player	Year	ERA	GS	W	Age	Tm	Lg	L	W-L%	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Cole Hamels	2014	2.46	30	9	30	PHI	NL	9	.500	204.2	176	60	56	59	198	.235	.296	.345	.641

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/25/2014.

Not exactly a long list, is it?  In fact, since the advent of divisional play in 1969, only two pitchers have come close to matching what Hamels did, and both names might look familiar to fans of National League baseball in New York.

Player	Year	ERA	GS	W	Age	Tm	Lg	L	W-L%	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Cole Hamels	2014	2.46	30	9	30	PHI	NL	9	.500	204.2	176	60	56	59	198	.235	.296	.345	.641
Matt Harvey	2013	2.27	26	9	24	NYM	NL	5	.643	178.1	135	46	45	31	191	.209	.248	.282	.530
Craig Swan	1978	2.43	28	9	27	NYM	NL	6	.600	207.1	164	62	56	58	125	.219	.275	.321	.597

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/25/2014.

Both Craig Swan and Matt Harvey failed to reach ten victories in their outstanding seasons, but each pitcher had a sub-2.50 ERA.  However, unlike Hamels, who made 30 starts in 2014, Swan and Harvey started 28 and 26 games, respectively, leaving Hamels all by his lonesome in the 30-start, 2.50-or-under-ERA, single-digit-victory club.

Imagine what Hamels could do for a team that, you know, actually scores runs.  It would behoove the Phillies to trade Hamels now, while he's still in his prime and is still putting up All-Star numbers.

Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels are the Phillies' version of the "core four", as the quartet was originally drafted by Philadelphia and have spent a combined 47 seasons in the city of Brotherly Love.  But Rollins, Howard and Utley are all past their prime years and are playing like it.  Hamels is not.

"We're not amused that Iggy Beartran thinks we're past out prime." (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

For years, Cole Hamels has never endeared himself to Mets fans.  From calling the Mets chokers following the Phillies' 2008 championship season to costing R.A. Dickey a chance to toss the team's first no-hitter in 2010, Hamels has been the textbook definition of an ass.

During the 2009 World Series against the Yankees, Hamels admitted that he couldn't wait to go home while his teammates were trying to win a second championship.  If he wants to win more games, perhaps home for Hamels should be in a city that doesn't serve up steaks on a hoagie or poorly-timed quotes from its star pitcher.

Escaping from Philadelphia can help both the Phillies on a team level and Cole Hamels on a personal level.  Hopefully, if Hamels does get traded, it's to a team that has the Mets on its schedule.  That 8-14 career mark versus New York needs a few more 'L's on it.

Wheeler and d'Arnaud For Stanton? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Earlier today, Andy Martino of the Daily News reported that the Mets have been showing interest in Marlins' outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.  But it would cost New York both Zack Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud.

What do I think of this potential trade?  I'll make it short and sweet.  In fact, I'll let Grumpy Cat answer the question for me.

It would be wrong on so many levels to make this trade - four levels to be exact:

• Level No. 1:  Wheeler and d'Arnaud are expected to be key contributors to the Mets for many years.  The Mets haven't had a top offensive catcher since Mike Piazza had Braden Looper as a teammate, and they haven't had a young, dominant one-two punch in the starting rotation since Seaver and Koosman.  (Gooden and Darling were great, but Darling was hardly what you would call dominant.)  Wheeler and Matt Harvey would form the nucleus of a potentially memorable starting rotation.

• Level No. 2:  Sandy Alderson has been doing his best to obtain top prospects who would be under team control for a number of years.  Stanton is entering his fourth season in the major leagues.  He will be making tens of millions of dollars per season once he is eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.  Wheeler and d'Arnaud will more than likely be making less than $10 million combined by that year.

• Level No. 3:  For all the power Stanton possesses, he also strikes out at an alarming rate.  As of this writing, Stanton has struck out 444 times in 1,354 career at-bats.  That's one strikeout every three at-bats.  Stanton is also a .268 career hitter who, for all his home run prowess, has never reached 90 RBIs over a full season.  Even George Foster had a 90 RBI season for the Mets and he was booed out of town.

• Level No. 4:  For all you sabermetricians out there, Stanton has a 9.2 oWAR.  That's not over one season.  That's his cumulative oWAR for all of his seasons in the majors.  To put that into perspective, David Wright's cumulative oWAR by the time he was 23 (the age Stanton is now) was 12.3.

Now don't get me wrong.  Giancarlo Stanton is a great player and one who would instantly be superior to any of the current Mets outfielders.  But he is not worth the team's top two prospects.  Not now.  Not ever.

Zack Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud were not acquired to be trade bait.  They became members of the Mets organization to help the team return to prominence and stay there.  Giancarlo Stanton would make a fine addition to the team.  But not if Wheeler and d'Arnaud aren't his teammates.  The team would be better off keeping their future stars (plural) than trading for a current one (singular).

Zack Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud look so much better in blue and orange than in whatever colors the Miami Marlins wear.  (They also look so much better when photographed by Michael Baron, as they were in this beautiful photo.)

R.A. Dickey Goes From Cy Young To C-Ya

On June 1, 2012, Gary Cohen uttered the now-famous three-word sentence, "it has happened", after Johan Santana recorded the final out of the first no-hitter in Mets history.  Those words can now be repeated, although this time the sentiment is a little bit different.

After days of speculation and hours of hammering out names and details, Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey has been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.  It has happened.

R.A. Dickey will be taking his celebrity and his knuckleball north of the border in 2013.

Dickey will now be moving to the American League East, a division he has dominated since his renaissance with the Mets began in 2010.  Over the past three seasons, Dickey has gone 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in 42 innings against his new division rivals.  He also has a sparkling 0.74 WHIP and 45 strikeouts against the Orioles, Rays and Yankees (he never faced the Red Sox as a member of the Mets).

In return, the Mets acquired Toronto's top offensive prospect in catcher Travis d'Arnaud.  The Mets also received Toronto's top pitching prospect (Noah Syndergaard) and a second catcher, veteran John Buck.  In addition to Dickey, the Blue Jays received the man who was behind the plate on the night "it has happened" happened.  Josh Thole, who has plenty of experience catching Dickey's knuckleball, is now a Blue Jay as well, after spending the last four seasons with the Mets.  Two other mid-level prospects were swapped as well, with one going to Toronto and one coming to New York.

Dickey's departure is reminiscent of Frank Viola, but in reverse.  Viola won the Cy Young Award in 1988 as a member of the Minnesota Twins, then was traded to New York the following season.  In his first full year as a Met (1990), Viola won 20 games.  Dickey did it in reverse, winning 20 games in his last full year as a Met.  Instead of being traded to the Mets after winning the Cy Young, Dickey was dealt away from the team following his award-winning campaign.

Since Travis d'Arnaud is coming off a knee injury that limited him to 67 games at AAA-Las Vegas in 2012 (his only games above the AA level), it wouldn't come as a surprise if he began the season at Las Vegas (which is now a Mets triple-A affiliate) in 2013, with John Buck becoming this decade's Rey Sanchez.  Sanchez began the 2003 season as the Mets' shortstop before Jose Reyes was called up in June to take over the position.  Similarly, Buck would be the stopgap at catcher until d'Arnaud was deemed ready for big league action behind the plate.

Noah Syndergaard (who, coupled with Kirk Nieuwenhuis, would represent the final two names in any 2013 Mets spelling bee) would likely begin the 2013 season at AA-Binghamton.  In three professional seasons, Syndergaard has never pitched above the single-A level.  However, in 45 appearances (35 starts), he has been dominant, pitching to the tune of a 2.35 ERA and 1.085 WHIP.  He has also held opposing batters to a .211 batting average while striking out 196 batters in 176 innings.

R.A. Dickey was a beloved figure in Mets history.  But a trade for two top prospects was too hard to pass up, especially when those players could become major contributors for the Mets long after Dickey has retired from baseball.

Cy Young Award or not, the Mets did the right thing to trade Dickey when his value was at its highest.  Dickey was part of the team's past and present.  Syndergaard and d'Arnaud are part of the team's future, a future that looks much brighter now.

It's okay to be sad today.  Because if these prospects pan out, there will be plenty of happiness at Citi Field in the near future.  And then there will be plenty more of the good "it has happened" moments that we can all celebrate together.

Toronto Going Hard For Dickey

The deal for R.A. Dickey has not been consummated yet, but if you had any doubts whether or not Toronto's desires for Dickey were strong, this tweet by Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports should quell those doubts.

Two other executives who have asked on Travis d'Arnaud this offseason were told flat-out no. Shows you how badly Toronto wants R.A. Dickey.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 15, 2012

Yes, my fellow Mets fans.  The Blue Jays have a major hard-on for Dickey and are willing to go south of the border to grab him, even offering top catching prospect Travis d'Arneau when they weren't willing to do the same for those teams who did not have a Dickey to dangle.

I'm sure I'll have more on this potential pitcher-for-catcher deal involving Dickey and a B. Jay as we go deeper into the night.  Stay tuned!

Haven't I seen you on Scott Hairston's Wikipedia page before?

I'd Trade Dickey For Travis d'Arnaud and Anthony Gose

The R.A. Dickey trade rumor machine is firing on all cylinders tonight.  Andy Martino of the Daily News tweeted earlier that Travis d'Arnaud was viewed as a "must have" for a deal to take place with Toronto.  Jon Heyman tweeted that he believed the Mets would acquire d'Arnaud.  And Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Mets would be trading Dickey with his $5 million contract looking quite attractive to other teams.

Sandy Alderson has said that he'd like two top prospects in return for Dickey in any trade, but the Blue Jays seem to be offering J.P. Arencibia and Anthony Gose in any trade involving two players going to New York.  A Dickey-for-d'Arnaud trade would be a one-for-one deal.

I do not want J.P. Arencibia.  Sure he can hit 20 HR out of the catcher position, but that power comes with a ton of strikeouts (252 Ks in 825 AB) and a miniscule .275 on-base percentage.  That's barely higher than current catcher Josh Thole's .261 career batting average.  (For the record, Thole's lifetime OBP is .331.)  But Travis d'Arnaud is another story.

Since being traded by the Phillies to the Blue Jays in the Roy Halladay trade, d'Arnaud has blossomed into a dynamic hitter, showing steady growth as he's moved up the minor league ladder.  Here are his key stats since the trade:

• 2010: .259/.315/.411, 20 doubles, 6 HR, 38 RBI, 63 Ks in 71 games.
• 2011: .311/.371/.542, 33 doubles, 21 HR, 78 RBI, 100 Ks in 114 games.
• 2012: .333/.380/.595, 21 doubles, 16 HR, 52 RBI, 59 Ks in 67 games.

• Total: .303/.358/.522, 74 doubles, 43 HR, 168 RBI, 222 Ks in 252 games.

We're looking at a .300 hitting catcher, who's good for 20+ jacks and averages less than a strikeout per game.  And that .522 slugging percentage over the past three seasons?  It fits in nicely between David Wright's career slugging percentage (.506) and Mike Piazza's slugging percentage as a Met (.542).  And d'Arnaud won't be 24 until February, so he hasn't fully developed his power yet.

Travis d'Arnaud by himself would be a fine acquisition.  But why stop there?  How about Anthony Gose, too?  Gose doesn't have the power d'Arnaud has, having hit only 30 HR in five minor league seasons, but his basestealing ability is what the Mets want, especially after last off-season's departure of Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan.

Since 2009, Gose has pilfered bases at an amazin' rate.  His 240 steals over the past four seasons (225 at the minor league level, 15 with the Blue Jays in 56 games in 2012) reminds Mets fans of the days Reyes would swipe 60+ bases per season.  Gose is also a safe bet to reach double digits in triples, as he has accumulated 42 three-base hits in four years.  Did I mention his defensive prowess in center field?  No?  Well, now I am.

In 490 minor league games as a centerfielder (the equivalent of three full major league seasons), Gose has a whopping 51 outfield assists.  Although his arm is not as strong as Alex Ochoa's (remember him?), it's deadly accurate, a la Kevin McReynolds.

The Mets need an outfielder or three.  They need a significant upgrade in the speed department.  They could also use an offensive-minded catcher.  Trading one 38-year old knuckleballer could fill all those needs for the Mets.

As much as Mets fans love R.A. Dickey, they love winning more.  Getting d'Arnaud and Gose could go a long way toward getting the team back on the right side of .500.  And at their ages - d'Arnaud is 23, Gose is 22 - the Mets could remain a winning team for more years than Dickey has left in the major leagues.  How could you not make that trade?

Let The Phillies Get Older With Michael Young

There is an old adage in baseball that says pitching wins championships.  The San Francisco Giants can attest to that, as they've won two titles in three years on the strength of their stellar starting rotation and deep bullpen.  But while pitching wins titles, it's youth that keeps teams playing for championships.

After winning four World Series in five seasons from 1996 to 2000 with a number of homegrown players who were still in their 20s (Jeter, Williams, Posada, Pettitte, Rivera), the Yankees have managed just one championship over the past 12 seasons.  Basically, they've become too old to compete with the young studs in places like Detroit and Texas.  Heck, they barely beat out Baltimore in the regular season and ALDS, while allowing Tampa to win two division titles over the past five seasons.

Similarly, the Phillies won five consecutive division titles from 2007 to 2011, but could only manage a .500 record in 2012.  All that success earned them one World Series trophy.  In 2012, the Phillies had 17 players play in at least 70 games.  None of them were younger than age 28 and all but two of them were at least 31 years of age.  In addition, Cliff Lee (age 33) and Roy Halladay (age 35) both spent time on the disabled list, combining to make 55 starts, winning only 17 of them.

Here's a sign that the Phillies are an old, fragile team.  Carlos Ruiz, their recently caught-with-PEDs catcher, finished fifth on the team in games played.  That's a catcher who gets day games after night games off, spending more time on the field than all but four players on the team.

So are the Phillies looking to get any younger this year, especially after seeing the youth movement in Washington lead to a major league-leading 98 wins for the Nationals during the 2012 regular season?

Uh, not exactly.

Many sources, including MLB Trade Rumors, are reporting that the Phillies have just completed a trade with the Texas Rangers for the services of third baseman Michael Young, who has decided to waive his no-trade clause to leave the only team he has played for in the major leagues.

For those who are not aware of Michael Young's career, he is a former Gold Glove winner (2008) and seven-time All-Star.  He is also Texas' all-time leader in hits, as well as games played, at-bats, runs scored, singles, doubles, triples, total bases and sacrifice flies.

Translation?  He's old.

In addition to getting up there in years, the 36-year-old Young just completed one of the worst seasons of his career.  After hitting a career-high .338 for the pennant-winning Rangers in 2011, Young's average dropped dramatically to .277, his lowest mark in ten years.  His 27 doubles were also his lowest total since 2002, as were his 67 RBI and .312 on-base percentage.  Young's eight home runs, two stolen bases and .370 slugging percentage in 2012 all represented career-lows.  And I haven't even mentioned his horrid -2.4 WAR from last season, which includes his fourth consecutive sub-zero dWAR, a number that should become five straight playing in a non-DH league in 2013.  (Oops.  Guess I just did mention it.)

Young's 2012 numbers are what you would have expected from him had he spent time on the disabled list, missing a significant portion of the season.  Instead, those numbers are what Young produced in a season in which he played 156 games and collected 611 at-bats.  But of course, the Phillies would love to have him and his $16 million salary for 2013 (although Texas would be paying a portion of that hefty salary).

The Phillies recently signed Cole Hamels to a contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2018 with a team option for the 2019 season.  Cole Hamels will turn 36 in 2019.  They also have Cliff Lee signed through the 2015 season, with a vesting option for 2016, a year in which the southpaw will turn 38.  Ryan Howard is signed to a monster contract that will keep the rapidly declining slugger in red through his 37th birthday, the same age Jimmy Rollins will be if his option vests in 2015.

Perhaps the reason why the Phillies are trying so desperately to bring in Michael Young is because Citizens Bank Nursing Home needs another resident to replace Shane Victorino (who was a relatively young 31 years of age when the Phillies traded him to the Dodgers this past summer).  Or maybe it's just that they really miss Scott Rolen.

The Phillies are going all out to acquire Michael Young.  But a 36-year-old Young is still no 26-year-old Rolen.

Since Scott Rolen was shipped out of Philly at the trade deadline in 2002, the third baseman has been a member of six division champions, two pennant winners and one World Series champion.  In the ten years since he played his last game as a Phillie, Rolen has also won five Gold Gloves and made the All-Star team six times.  Meanwhile, the roll call of Phillies' third basemen since Rolen's departure has included names like David Bell, Abraham Nuñez, Greg Dobbs, Wes Helms, Pedro Feliz, Placido Polanco and Kevin Frandsen.  In other words, the Phillies have yet to find a long-term replacement for Scott Rolen, who was the closest thing they've had to Mike Schmidt since ... Mike Schmidt.

Michael Young, all three dozen years of him and coming off the worst full season of his career, is now the Phillies' new third baseman.  And with Young only signed through the 2013 season, the Phillies may be looking for yet another player to man the hot corner in 2014, assuming they don't continue their recent tradition of signing 30-something players to multi-year extensions.

Let Ruben Amaro continue to throw money at players who will be collecting their first social security checks shortly.  I'd rather take my chances with our recently-signed third baseman.  I'm sure the Phillies would love to have him right about now.  Then again, David Wright is probably too young for the Phillies anyway.

Stuck Between a Dickey and a Hard Place

I'm torn.  I've been a Mets fan since Joe Torre was the team's manager and in three-plus decades, I can't remember having a quandary such as this one.  My dilemma involves R.A. Dickey.  Do I want him to be a Met in 2013 or do I want him to be traded for a major league-ready prospect or two?  It's not a decision I would want to make.

Like he has with mostly every other Mets fan, R.A. Dickey has grown on me.  He went from a pitcher whose name was made fun of in every other tweet or blog post (I guess some habits are hard to break) to the best pitcher in the National League in just three seasons.  Needless to say, I look forward to every R.A. Dickey start.

That being said, Dickey's value is higher than anyone ever thought it would be.  One recent trade situation had the Red Sox sending their top two prospects, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley, to the Mets for the 38-year-old knuckleballer.  Dickey's name has also been connected to the Dodgers and Royals.

Just like the Mets were able to pry top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler away from the Giants in the Carlos Beltran trade, they have to get top value for Dickey in any trade.  And since we're talking about the current National League Cy Young Award winner, they should have no problem getting a top talent or two.

But who would replace Dickey in the rotation?  Johan Santana is still a question mark.  Zack Wheeler is still months away from being major league ready.  Matt Harvey has ten games of big league experience.  Dillon Gee is coming off a season-ending injury.  Mike Pelfrey was shown the front door.  And therein lies the dilemma.

If R.A. Dickey is traded, the Mets have no one to step into his spot in the rotation come April 1.  The fans would also never get to hear Howie Rose utter these words on Opening Day:

"Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 National League Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey!"

Alas, trading Dickey would allow the Mets to get younger and continue to build a team around David Wright, even if this Mets blogger would love to see Dickey play out the remaining years of his major league career in Flushing.

The Mets would have an above-average pitching staff if they decided to keep Dickey.  But they would have to find another way to acquire top young talent.  Similarly, their rotation would have a gaping hole if they decided to trade Dickey, but the team would be bolstered by the influx of major league-ready prospects.

So which one do I want?  Do I want Dickey all for my own?  Or do I want Sandy Alderson to deal our ace for a potential royal flush of young talent?  I have no idea what's in the cards for R.A. Dickey.  All I know is that as a fan, I'm stuck between a Dickey and a hard place.  And I'm not sure I'm going to be satisfied with whatever ends up happening.