Mets player breaks down during game after rumors of trade

When is a trade not a trade?

When one or both sides decides it has a problem with the health of one of the players involved.

That is what happened Wednesday night, when a widely reported trade that had the Milwaukee Brewers sending center fielder Carlos Gomez to the New York Mets did not happen.

The Mets, looking to bolster their offense, apparently were set to acquire Gomez from the Brewers for infielder Wilmer Flores and pitcher Zack Wheeler, according to multiple reports.

"There is no trade. A grade has not and will not transpire," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said without elaborating. "There's a tremendous amount of disappointment, to some extent anger, to some extent amazement."

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the trade was in place before medical information derailed the deal.

USA Today reported that the Brewers had concerns about Wheeler's physical, but the team still plans to trade Gomez before the Friday deadline. Several other reports indicated that the deal fell through because of a hip issue involving Gomez.

Wheeler, 25, is recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery he underwent March 25 after going 11-11 with a 3.54 ERA in 32 starts last year for the Mets. He began throwing for the first time this week.

As false rumors of a trade emerged, Flores was seen crying in the field during the eighth inning of the Mets-San Diego Padres game at Citi Field. Flores was believed to be weeping after getting news of a deal, and some questioned why he was left in the game, but Mets manager Terry Collins said there was no knowledge on the field about any deal.

"There was nothing I knew about," Collins said. "Why would I take him out of the game?"

Flores apparently heard the reports.

"During the game, I heard there was a trade and I got emotional," he said.

The 29-year-old Gomez, who is signed through the 2016 season, is batting .262 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs in 73 games this year on the heels a 2014 season with 23 homers, 73 RBIs, a .284 average and 34 stolen bases.

Gomez signed with the Mets as a free agent in 2002 and played in 58 games for the team in 2007, batting .232 with two homers and 12 RBIs. He left for the Minnesota Twins in 2008 was part of a deal that brought pitcher Johan Santana to the Mets. Gomez was traded to the Brewers in 2009 and was named an All-Star in 2013 and 2014 and also won a Gold Glove in 2013.

Flores, 23, was batting .249 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 92 games for the Mets this year. In parts of three seasons with the Mets, Flores has a .244 average and a .278 on-base percentage with 17 home runs and 82 RBIs in 197 career games.