Some surprising pitching news within the division

Given we currently have a free agent market in which Anibal Sanchez, a pitcher coming off a nine-win, 3.86-ERA season, can land a five-year, $80 million deal, it's shocking that the Mets aren't willing to offer R.A. Dickey the two-year, $26 million extension he's seeking. Instead, the Mets are on the verge of dealing the Cy Young Award-winning knuckleballer to the Blue Jays, according to reports, for top catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud and other pieces. I guess this is the move you make when you haven't recorded more than 79 wins in the last four seasons, but the way the Mets have handled this still surprises me. With the Mets poised to make this trade, the Nationals' offseason continues to get better. In addition to their own moves, they might have Sanchez (who has utterly dominated them over the years) and Dickey depart the National League, as well. Meanwhile, Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia is reporting that the Phillies have an agreement in place with John Lannan, pending a physical. Not only does this take the former Nationals pitcher and stick him on a division rival's roster, but it also places him in a clubhouse with Chase Utley, the guy whose hand Lannan broke in 2007, ending Utley's season. Lannan hasn't exactly been a fan favorite in Philly since that incident, although he did struggle against the Phillies over the course of his career. Now, he's set to make Citizens Bank Park his home and compete against the Nationals a few times in 2013. CBSsports.com's Jon Heyman reports that it's just a one-year deal for Lannan worth up to $5 million (with $2.5 million guaranteed), which seems a bit low to me after seeing what other starters have already gotten this offseason. I thought Lannan would have his pick of a couple multi-year deals, given he's a proven innings-eating lefty. Regardless, he lands in Philadelphia, and now will have a chance to prove a point to general manager Mike Rizzo and the Nationals on the field.