NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Daniel Murphy, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell and Nick Evans all debuted within months of one another in the second half of 2008, signaling a youth movement for the Mets. Those four marked the beginning of a new era in Flushing, one that came to a clear end early Wednesday evening.
The Mets' trade for second baseman Neil Walker not only sent off Niese, who had been in the organization for more than a decade, it ensured that Murphy will not return. Parnell became a free agent earlier this offseason, leaving the Mets with just one player -- David Wright -- who was with the club prior to 2010.