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Former Blue Jays who will be eligible for the 2023 Hall of Fame Ballot

By Tyson Shushkewich

TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 29: Adam Lind #26 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during MLB game action against the Chicago White Sox on June 29, 2014 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 29: Adam Lind #26 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during MLB game action against the Chicago White Sox on June 29, 2014 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 16: R.A. Dickey #43 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 16, 2016 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

R.A. Dickey

Part of one of the more controversial trades in the Blue Jays history, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey joined the Blue Jays during the 2012/2013 offseason, acquired from the New York Mets alongside catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas in exchange for prospects Travis d’Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, Wuilmer Becerra, and veteran catcher John Buck.

Struggling to find reps at the Major League level from 2001-2009, Dickey joined the New York Mets in 2010 and basically turned his career around. Posting solid numbers his first two seasons in the Big Apple, Dickey churned out an incredible 2012 campaign that saw him pitch to a 20-6 record through 34 outings while posting an 8.9 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 1.053 WHIP through a National League leading 233.2 innings pitched, winning the NL Cy Young Award that season.

With the 2022 Hall of Fame results released last week, we now look at the 2023 HOF Ballot and see which players have ties to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Jays gave up two top prospects to bring Dickey North of the border, spending the next four years with the organization. Through 131 appearances with the club, the Tennessee product pitched to a 4.05 ERA with 602 strikeouts through 824.1 innings. He did win a Gold Glove Award in 2013 but he was never able to replicate his Cy Young calibre campaign with the Jays. In the 2015 postseason, Dickey found success in the ALDS against the Texas Rangers, limiting his former club to one earned run through 4.2 innings pitched, but was lit up in the ALCS against Cleveland to the tune of two home runs and four earned runs and failing to make it out of the second inning.

Blue Jays: R.A. Dickey was better than you remember. light. Related Story

The right-hander would become a free agent following the 2016 campaign and spent one last year in the Major Leagues with the Atlanta Braves, pitching to a 4.26 ERA through 190.0 innings. His option would be declined by the Braves at the end of the year and he would retire later that offseason.

While he does have a Cy Young Award on his mantle, Dickey is a long shot to make the Hall of Fame considering he struggled throughout the first ten years of his career, flirting with Major League rosters while switching between the bullpen and the rotation before putting it together with the Mets.

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