In the sweltering summer of 2022, as the relentless trade deadline clock ticked away, the baseball world held its collective breath, perched on the edge of anticipation, as it has done for decades. The New York Yankees, fresh off a bold move that had sent Jordan Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader, had set the league abuzz just a couple of hours earlier. However, most people had a feeling the Yankees weren’t done dealing. Yankees GM Brian Cashman’s plan was to prove those many people right.

The move that now that now stands as a hypothetical was meant to be the perfect companion to the Montgomery trade, ushering in a new look for the Yankees. However, as the hours slipped away, this trade, teetering on the precipice of significance, slipped away, similarly to how the playoffs kept slipping away from them this year, slowly and painfully.

This move, per Marlins source, was one that was supposed to bolster their farm a bit more, while adding the target that they’ve been looking to acquire dating back to the last few years under GM Kim Ng.

The Marlins receive:

About an hour or two before the deadline, the Yankees had geared up to dispatch their star infielder, Gleyber Torres, along with the struggling Aaron Hicks, and highly-touted prospect Everson Pereira to Miami.

Gleyber Torres had long been the apple of the Marlins’ eye. They had been relentlessly pursuing him, and as it was well-documented, Brian Cashman had been cautious about parting with his promising prospects. Miami’s front office long believed Torres would have been promised to breathe new life into the Marlins’ infield and add a potent offensive presence for the long term.

Aaron Hicks, in this proposed deal, was more of a contract swap. The Yankees aimed to alleviate some of their financial burden by shedding Hicks’s contract, though the specifics of how much salary relief they would have provided were still unknown.

Everson Pereira, the young prospect in question, had been the subject of trade rumors for some time. Under different circumstances the last two years, he might not have had the opportunity to shine under the Yankee Stadium lights, especially with the team’s perennial playoff ambitions.

In return, the Yankees were set to receive:

Pablo Lopez. Another starting pitcher, you might wonder? Indeed. The Yankees were gunning for a pitching staff that would stand virtually unrivaled across the league. Paired with Gerrit Cole, Frankie Montas, Nestor Cortes, and Jameson Taillon, the addition of Pablo Lopez was expected to solidify their rotation. This all-star cast of pitchers was poised to elevate the yankees and set them on an even clearer championship course.

As the trade deadline loomed, fans couldn’t help but dream of a postseason where this powerhouse rotation would reign supreme. However, destiny and now former Marlins GM Kim Ng had other plans.

As fate would have it, the Yankees suffered a humbling sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros in the ALCS. Ironically, their downfall was not rooted in pitching, but in hitting. They struggled mightily, batting just .162 with just three home runs, two of which were provided by Harrison Bader. The problem wasn’t one that even a star starting pitcher like Lopez could fix.

What Happened?

In a sudden twist, Marlins General Manager Kim Ng decided to pull out of the trade in the hours leading up to the deadline. She yearned for a more substantial return, particularly in the form of a generational level prospect. Her eyes were set on the most prized gem in the Yankees’ system, Jasson Dominguez. After a back-and-forth negotiation that danced on the precipice of completion, Ng ultimately hung up on Cashman.

What’s truly perplexing is that the Marlins had coveted Gleyber Torres for an extended period, yet they left behind him and Everson Pereira in the process of keeping Lopez, which remains a point of intrigue to this day. In retrospect, the initial trade seemed fair, yet the opportunity slipped away.

Pereira would have been intriguing to see in Miami. He has good bat-to-ball skills, as he bat for a .350 OBP, and above average power, slugging .479 in 2022 as the Yankees #11 prospect in 2022. he displayed even greater numbers in the previous year 2021, as he hit for a 1.084 ops that year, slashing .303/.398/.686. There was a good chance he could have made the Marlins roster in the first half of 2023, so it really is surprising that they passed on a fair deal as such.

As we all know, hindsight is 20/20. The Marlins in the preceding offseason ended up trading Lopez to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for the National League Batting Champion, Luis Arraez. Arraez, who hit .354 with a .393 OBP, showcased his prowess, leading the Marlins to the playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round.

This almost-trade between the Yankees and the Marlins will be remembered as a missed opportunity, a testament to the unpredictability and ever-turning wheel of fortune in the world of America’s beloved pastime. The baseball world can’t help but wonder how this deal might have rewritten the narrative of the 2022 season.