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UPDATE MAJOR UPDATE: Deal is apparently off. I'm as confused as you probably are. Original story follows.
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It's apparently official. After five and a half wild years, center fielder Carlos Gomez is not a Milwaukee Brewers player any longer. The Brewers have agreed to a deal with the New York Mets that will see pitcher Zack Wheeler and infielder Wilmer Florescome back in return.
It is a done deal #Mets are getting Gomez
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 30, 2015
The Brewers originally obtained Gomez from the Minnesota Twins in return for shortstop J.J. Hardy. A source of many fans frustrations his first couple of seasons with Milwaukee, Gomez eventually blossomed into one of the very best all-around players in baseball.
Gomez first broke out a bit in 2012 when he posted a 768 OPS over 137 games with his defense -- that great, great glove -- shining as bright as ever. That led the Brewers to give him a contract worth just over $28 million for four years, a contract that still runs through 2016. Gomez then went out in 2013 and shone brighter than ever with a .284/.336/.506 line, 24 homers, and 40 stolen bases. That performance earned him his first All Star nod.
He returned to the All Star Game in 2014, a year during which he batted .264/.356/.477 with 23 homers and 34 stolen bases.
In 2015, Gomez has seen his offensive numbers dip a bit, batting just .266/.332/.429 this season. Still, he'll help a Mets offense that ranks last in baseball in runs scored.
In return, the Brewers will get Zack Wheeler who is formerly one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. Wheeler pitched 32 games for the Mets in 2014 with a 3.54 ERA, a 3.55 FIP and a 9.1 K/9. Wheeler could potentially become the best pitcher the Brewers have had since Zack Greinke, but he is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery and there's no sure return from that.
Flores can play shortstop, third base and second base. He has some pop in his bat, but has hit just .244/.278/.367 in 197 major league games. He's also still just 23, so there's a chance he can break out into a very valuable player.
Carlos Gomez is no longer a Brewers player, and that's sad. But the team is looking to the future, which is the right move. With a couple exciting players coming back in return, the Brewers are making a smart trade in all likelihood.