NEW YORK -- R.A. Dickey has never met the players he was traded for following his National League Cy Young Award-winning season in 2012. However, the former New York Mets right-hander will share a field Thursday with at least one of the players with whom he will be forever linked.

Dickey will make his debut at Citi Field as a visiting pitcher on Thursday when he takes the mound for the Atlanta Braves against Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard in the finale of an abbreviated two-game series.

The Braves (7-12) won 8-2 on Wednesday to snap a six-game losing streak. The Mets (8-12) have lost nine of 10.

Dickey, a knuckleballer, captivated Mets fans during an otherwise dour season in 2012, when he led the NL in victories (20) and strikeouts (230) for a 74-win team while becoming the franchise's first Cy Young Award winner since Dwight Gooden in 1985.

"When you share a season like I did in 2012, on a team that (wasn't) competing, really, at the end, it gave everybody something to look forward to, including myself," Dickey said Wednesday afternoon. "So to be able to kind of share that connection with those guys -- the New York fan base has always treated me so great. I've always appreciated that."

However, with Dickey nearing his 38th birthday as the 2012 season ended, and the Mets still in rebuilding mode, he realized general manager Sandy Alderson likely would try to sell high. Alderson did just that when he traded Dickey and catchers Mike Nickeas and Josh Thole to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Syndergaard, minor league catcher Travis d'Arnaud, minor league outfielder Wuilmer Becerra and catcher John Buck.

Dickey spent four seasons with the Blue Jays before signing as a free agent last November with the Braves, whose Opening Day utility man was Chase d'Arnaud -- Travis' older brother.

"Of course, he brought it up that I was someone his brother was traded for," Dickey said with a grin. "We had a conversation around that. I didn't spend any time with either of them. Only follow what they've been able to do on the field. I wish them both the best."

Now Mets fans have fallen in love with the long-haired Syndergaard, whose fastball regularly hits 100 mph. He also occupies Dickey's old locker at the end of New York's clubhouse.

But both Dickey and Mets manager Terry Collins would rather leave it to others to get excited about the narrative involved in the clash of the intertwined aces past and present.

"I understand where I am and I understand that that's a story for a lot of people," Dickey said. "For me, it's kind of just a by-product of something that happened once. I'm much more concerned with turning in a quality outing."

Said Collins with a laugh on Tuesday: "I don't think about that stuff. That's newspaper things."

Dickey took the loss in his most recent start on April 20 despite giving up three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three over seven innings in a 3-2 setback to the Washington Nationals. He is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three games (two starts) against the Mets.

Syndergaard took the loss in his most recent start, giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and no walks while striking out 10 over seven innings as the Mets fell to the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 on April 20. He is 0-1 with a 3.92 ERA in four career starts against the Braves.

"Noah's got to go out and shut them down, and we'll take our chances," Collins said.