R.A. Dickey, Mets remain $6 million apart in negotiations

The New York Mets and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey are about $6 million apart on a new contract, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News:

And as we reported yesterday, the two sides are closer on substance. Were about $10 mil. apart at winter meetings, about $6 mil now.

— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) December 12, 2012

Martino also tweeted that the Mets will let him play out his option year and will not cave to the two-year, $26 million demand.

There is more interest in trading Dickey, too, because now Zack Greinke has signed and James Shields is off the market, Martino said.

Dickey was the National League Cy Young Award winner last season. He went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA. He pitched a league-high 233⅔ innings and struck out 230.

Dickey ran away with the Cy Young voting. He earned 27 first-place votes. Clayton Kershaw, meanwhile, was second with two first-place votes.

The 37-year-old knuckleballer has improved his game over the last three seasons with the Mets. In his first nine seasons in the league, he had a 5.43 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP in 442 innings.

In his last three seasons, Dickey has a 2.95 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in 616 innings.