By Abbey Mastracco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Frank Franklin II | AP Photo

Looking back on the franchise-changing trade

Noah Syndergaard and R.A. Dickey, the right-handed pitchers who couldn't be more different, yet were traded for one another in a deal that changed the course of Mets history in December of 2012, will face off against one another for the first time.

The winner in the trade was undoubtedly the Mets, as they continue to reap the benefits. Even today, three teams are still feeling the reverberations of the blockbuster trade. Here's a look at who was involved and where they are now.

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John Bazemore | AP Photo

RHP R.A. Dickey

Dickey, the ageless, rubber-armed knuckleballer who will never need Tommy John surgery was coming off a Cy Young Award-winning season when the Mets traded him for a package of three prospects and a veteran catcher in December of 2012.

He was the first knuckleballer in history and the third Met to win the highest pitching award. So the Mets, who were in full development mode with pitching prospects like Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia, Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom in the system, traded away their best pitcher to a team who thought they were in win-now mode.

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Justin K. Aller | Getty Images

At the time, general manager Sandy Alderson saw the value in a haul of talented young players when others were wondering why the Mets would part with their best offensive player (Jose Reyes) and their best pitcher in consecutive offseaons.

"I'm hopeful in coming years that our overall popularity will be more a function of our success than individuals," Alderson said at the time. "Look, I realize that this is an entertainment business and it was great to have R.A. here. And yet we felt in the best interest of the organization and the long-term popularity of the team, that this was the right thing to do."

In his three years with the Mets, Dickey went 39-28 with a 2.95 ERA. In his Cy Young Award-winning season, he went 20-6 with a career best 2.73 ERA. He's never been the same pitcher that he was in 2012 and the Blue Jays, as it turned out, weren't in win-now mode in 2013. But they won two years later with Dickey in the rotation, coming two wins shy of facing the Mets in the World Series.

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William Perlman | The Star-Ledger

Where is he now?

Dickey is on a one-year contract with a team option for 2018 with the Atlanta Braves. He's 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA this season.

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William Perlman | The Star-Ledger

C Josh Thole

Thole was a homegrown Mets product who became Dickey's personal catcher somewhere along the line, and was shipped up to Canada with him. But he was more of an everyday catcher before he became linked to Dickey, even catching Johan Santana's no-hitter in 2012. Much like the catcher he was traded for, Travis d'Arnaud, Thole was great at framing pitches but not quite as great as throwing.

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Josh Thole's hamstring tear is significant and he's expected to be lost for the year, manager Torey Lovullo said. — Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) March 18, 2017

Where is he now?

Thole played with Toronto until Dickey departed. He's now with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, but he's out for the season after suffering a torn hamstring in spring training.

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William Perlman | The Star-Ledger

C Mike Nickeas

The other catcher included in the trade, Nickeas went right back to Triple-A team that he came up with when they were affiliated with the Mets, the Buffalo Bison. He played 73 games for the Mets with a career .180 batting average.

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Each winter, many retire without announcement. Here's one: Mike Nickeas, now a student at Georgia Tech. Blue Jays career: 1 game, no AB — Jamie Campbell (@SNETCampbell) March 9, 2015

Where is he now?

Nickeas went back to school after an unceremonious retirement from baseball.

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Brad Penner | USA TODAY Sports

RHP Noah Syndergaard

Does he really need an introduction?

Syndergaard wasn't the centerpiece of the trade. And iif you believe the rumors, outfielder Anthony Gose, who is now with the Detroit Tigers, could have been the headliner.

At the time, Syndergaard wasn't the hardest thrower in baseball. His fastball was sitting solidly in the mid-90s and had a major league-ready curveball, according to Baseball America.

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Where is he now?

These days, Syndergaard spends his days tormenting mascots and opposing hitters around the league. He's morphed himself into a bona fide, doom-eating ace who could content for a Cy Young Award. He'd be the Mets' first Cy Young Award-winner since... Dickey.

The trade could very well come full circle.

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Steve Mitchell | USA TODAY Sports

C Travis d'Arnaud

The real headliner of the trade d'Arnaud was a rare power-hitting catching prospect at the time. It was the second time he had been traded, as the Blue Jays acquired him in the Roy Halladay trade. At the time of the deal, he was said to be an athletic catcher with the ability to frame pitches, hit for contact, average and power. The knocks on him? His elongated throwing motion and injuries. He's had a hard time shaking the reputation of an injury-riddled catcher who can't throw.

D'Arnaud was informed of the deal while back home in Long Beach, Calif., preparing for an ugly Christmas sweater party. He knew of Syndergaard, but didn't know the younger pitcher prospect. Syndergaard has since said that he's considered d'Arnaud a friend since the trade, despite the fact that the two don't often work together as a battery.

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Jasen Vinlove | USA TODAY Sports

Where is he now?

The everyday catcher since late 2013, d'Arnaud can hit, but the throwing is still a work in progress. The Mets hired catching coordinator Glenn Sherlock to work with him this season, beleiving the payoff would be worth the investment.

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Reinhold Matay | USA TODAY Sports

OF Wuilmer Becerra (Triple-A Las Vegas)

At the time, he was just an 18-year-old prospect from Venezuela and became a sort of throw-in player in a game-changing deal. But Becerra is poised to be another big gain from the deal down the line.

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Butch Dill | USA TODAY Sports

Where is he now?

Now 22, he made it through a significant portion of big league spring training and is playing for High Class-A St. Lucie, owning a slash line of .300/.375/.429.

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Richard Mackson | USA TODAY Sports

C John Buck

The Mets got rid of two catchers in the deal and got two back. While d'Arnaud was the flashy prospect, Buck provided a veteran presence behind the plate. But he wouldn't last the full season with New York. After 101 games with the Mets, he and outfielder Marlon Byrd were traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later, which paved the way for d'Arnaud to take over.

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Start the love of the game at a young age so when the game slaps you in the face you learn to love that too! pic.twitter.com/hWRnZG2kom — John Buck (@johnbuck44) March 11, 2016

Where is he now?

Buck played in 32 more games following his trade to Pittsburgh. He was in camp with the Braves in 2015, but retired at the conclusion of spring training to spend more time with his family after an 11-year MLB career.

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Abbey Mastracco may be reached at amastracco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @abbeymastracco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.