Report: Marlins skipped Sanchez, Syndergaard in 2012 blockbuster deal
Four years later, it was the wrong choice that continues to hurt.
In the 2012 blockbuster trade that sent Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Josh Johnson to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Miami Marlins had the option of picking between Justin Nicolino, Noah Sydnergaard, and Aaron Sanchez, according to the Miami Herald's Clark Spencer.
They picked Nicolino, and on Sunday, the Marlins demoted him to Triple-A.
A month later, Toronto dealt Syndergaard and catcher Travis d'Arnaud to the New York Mets for R.A. Dickey and Josh Thole.
| Player | Age | MLB Service | ERA | IP | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanchez | 23 | 3 Years | 2.95 | 216 2/3 | 177 |
| Syndergaard | 23 | 2 Years | 2.76 | 235 | 272 |
| Nicolino | 24 | 2 Years | 4.51 | 129 2/3 | 50 |
Fast forward to four years later: Sanchez is a critical part of the Blue Jays' pitching corps, while Syndergaard is a staple in the Mets' rotation and arguably the best young arm in the game.
Though it seems like an obvious choice now, at the time it wasn't such a black-and-white decision.
The trio formed the three-headed monster that was easily the best rotation in the minors with Single-A Lansing. According to Baseball America's 2012 Blue Jays prospect rankings, Nicolino, Sanchez and Syndergaard were 5th, 6th, and 7th respectively.
Baseball America also awarded Syndergaard with the best fastball, Sanchez with the best curveball, and Nicolino, the only lefty of the group, with the best changeup.