“It’s part of the game.”
That’s the stoical response most often heard from players who have been told that they must suddenly uproot themselves and their families, fly across the country, get a new uniform and start playing hard with a new set of teammates.
“It’s a business.” “It can happen to anyone.”
On Wednesday night, the routine was upended, revealing the emotion beneath the stoicism.
As the Mets played the San Diego Padres at Citi Field, news organizations, including The New York Times, began to report that shortstop Wilmer Flores and pitcher Zack Wheeler had been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for center fielder Carlos Gomez.