Zack Wheeler, a former top prospect who is out for the 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, is on his way to the MIlwaukee Brewers. (Getty)
The New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers nearly swung a deal late Wednesday night that would have brought Carlos Gomez back to the organization that originally signed him out of the Dominican Republic back in 2002.
Although his numbers are slightly down this year, Gomez is a dynamic player who would have given the Mets an integral piece as they look to make the postseason for the first in nearly a decade. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman had the details of the proposed trade:
Mets GM Sandy Alderson, via Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, later confirmed, however, that no deal was in place:
Alderson just told #Mets’ writers “there is no trade” for Gomez and that a deal “will not transpire.”
Zack Wheeler, who just two years ago was the top prospect in the Mets’ farm system, made 49 starts in 2013 and ’14, compiling a 3.50 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 271 strikeouts and 285.1 innings. He was quickly rising as one of the better young pitchers in the game but hit a major speedbump this year when he had to undergo Tommy John Surgery.
Obviously, anytime you’re dealing with a pitcher who is returning from a major elbow injury, it’s a risky acquisition, but at just 25 years old, Wheeler still has significant upside and is under team control through 2019.
His health may have been a reason for the deal falling through:
Most logical explanation is that #Brewers were uncomfortable with Wheeler’s medical coming off Tommy John. Players were agreed upon.
Wilmer Flores, another former elite prospect, is hitting .249/.281/.379 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI this season. He has spent time at both middle infield positions, where he has been slightly below average, per FanGraphs’ defensive runs saved (DRS) stat.
Flores, who wasn’t taken out of the game when rumors began to fly, was spotted with tears in his eyes when he took the field in the 8th inning. He has been with the Mets organization since 2007, when he signed as a 16-year-old.
