Francesa: Hip, Not Money, Killed Gomez Deal; Mets 'Working On 2 Players'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- What killed the Carlos Gomez trade?
The Milwaukee Brewers didn't balk at the elbow of New York pitcher Zack Wheeler, who underwent Tommy John surgery four months ago. Instead it was the Mets who called off the deal on Wednesday, concerned about Gomez's hip, according to multiple reports.
Gomez, 29, had been dealing with hip soreness earlier in the season and sat out short stretches in early May and mid-June. But the outfielder has missed only one game since June 23.
"Carlos Gomez is in first class physical condition," his agent, Scott Boras, told the New York Daily News. "He is going to play another 15 years, as far as I know. He has never seen a hip doctor. He has no hip issue. Wherever that rumor popped up from, it is a complete misrepresentation of the player's condition."
Gomez is batting .262 with eight home runs, 43 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 74 games. He's under contract through 2016, when he's due to make $9 million.
WFAN's Mike Francesa said on Thursday afternoon that the deal only fell apart because of health concerns, not financial issues, contrary to some reports coming out of Milwaukee.
"This deal was blown up for one reason and one reason only, and is that Gomez wasn't going to pass muster with the Mets' doctors," Francesa said.
Francesa also reported that the Mets aren't done searching for a big bat.
"My understanding is there's two other possibilities, of which (Yoenis) Cespedes is not one," he said. "I don't know who the two are. ... I know that they are working on two players. And I think that's the only way they're ever going to convince anybody it wasn't a money situation."
Mike Francesa On Yankees, Mets
Reports of the Mets nixing the deal put a wrap on a surreal night at Citi Field, where infielder Wilmer Flores played through tears after being informed by fans that he was part of the trade, which was agreed upon pending review of medical information. Afterward, manager Terry Collins said he was baffled by the emotion shown by Flores, having no idea a swap was in the works.
"Unfortunately social media, et cetera, got ahead of the facts," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "It's one of those things that happens today with modern communications, so it's an unfortunate situation."
Alderson shut the door on the team revisiting Gomez before Friday's trade deadline.
"Whatever has been speculated over the course of the evening has not and will not transpire," he said.
The speedy Gomez debuted with New York in 2007 and was shipped out before the next season in the Johan Santana trade. He eventually ended up in Milwaukee and added power to his game, belting 24 homers in 2013 and 23 in 2014. He hit .284 and drove in 73 runs both seasons.
"This is not the first agreed upon deal that has fallen apart and it will not be the last," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said, according to the New York Post. "I was pretty confident the deal was going to happen, but it didn't. It would have been a win-win for both sides."
