I was looking around the major leagues, trying to see where the Boston Red Sox could do something similar to what the Toronto Blue Jays just accomplished with the Miami Marlins.

Then I read this tweet from ESPN’s Buster Olney today:

 

I keep coming back to the New York Mets and Ike Davis and R.A. Dickey.

In order to get those players, the Sox would likely have to take back Johan Santana.

Would the Red Sox consider this for the entire remaining $30.5 million on Santana’s contract? Highly doubt it. But if the Mets were to include $5 to $10 million to the Sox, it would make things more palatable.

Plus, the Red Sox wouldn’t have to give up their top-tier prospects in order to get this done. This would be a salary dump for New York. The Red Sox could offer catching, bullpen arms and B or C-level prospects.

Why would the Mets do all this? Money, of course. Trading these three players to Boston would save them roughly $25 million.

According to this tweet by Newsday’s Marc Craig, Mets GM Sandy Alderson was quoted as saying the Mets will need “a little more clarity” on the contract situations of David Wright and R.A. Dickey.

R.A. Dickey just won the Cy Young, and instead of talking about extending his contract, it sounds like to Mets might be inclined to trade him because of the financial commitment and Dickey’s age (38).

Sounds like the Mets still have a money problem.

The last time the Red Sox traded for a pitcher coming off of his Cy Young season was Pedro Martinez. We all know how that turned out.

Dickey is making a team-friendly $5 million for 2013 and would likely want an extension of two years. The Sox could do a lot worse than trade for the knuckleballer and give him a two-year deal for $20 million plus or so. The Sox have extensive experience dealing with the knuckleball with Tim Wakefield and just signed a very good defensive catcher in David Ross.

Ike Davis would solve the Red Sox’s gaping hole at first base. Davis is a still-developing young power-hitter at the age of 25, and he would be under team control for another five seasons. He would also fill a need at a position where the Sox lack depth in their minor league system.

Then the question becomes: Does Santana have anything left? The 33-year-old lefty was simply okay last season. Maybe being a second season removed from shoulder surgery would improve his effectiveness, or maybe at that point one of the Sox’ young arms would be ready to take over the spot in the rotation.

Would the Mets be happy about doing this? Obviously not, but New York just agreed to pay Jason Bay his entire contract in order to release him. The stipulation? They wanted to defer some of Bay’s money and have him count for only roughly $6 million on the payroll for next season.

A team willing to do that in order to free up a few million dollars for next season might be willing to do anything to save $25 million—like sacrificing R.A. Dickey and Ike Davis.

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