PITTSBURGH -- Neil Walker knew the day was coming. At some point, he had come to accept, he would no longer be a Pirate.
The one thing Walker didn't know was when. Would there be a trade, or would he simply walk away as a free agent next year? The day finally came Wednesday, when Walker -- the Pittsburgh Kid who'd never spent a day with an organization other than his hometown Pirates -- was traded to the Mets for left-hander Jon Niese.
"It's still a little strange, still a little shocking," Walker told MLB.