That Marlon Byrd T-Shirt Giveaway Shouldn't Be Awkward at All After Mets' Trade

If you love someone, set him or her free. At least, that's how the New York Mets might spin Tuesday's Marlon Byrd T-shirt giveaway in light of their trade of the outfielder to the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Rumors of Byrd being dealt spread Monday throughout the Internet and spawned this tweet from Mets correspondent Andrew Harts: 

Yes, that would be awkward, and yes, the Mets traded the 35-year-old Tuesday. 

The Associated Press (via ESPN) reports the Mets sent Byrd, catcher John Buck and cash considerations to the Pirates, a team currently in a close race with the Cardinals for control of the NL Central, for infield prospect Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later.

The Pirates get depth and the Mets get some rather befuddled fans walking through their turnstiles. Really, you have to love the wings on the Byrd T-shirt. Sure, it's an allusion to his name, but it's all the more fitting as the downtrodden team lets their precious Byrd fly free, off to a playoff contender. 

Some of you Blue Jays fans might recall the abrupt end to Frank Thomas' tenure in Toronto, just a month before the team was going to hold a bobblehead night for him, via TSN. 

This particular trade is a double whammy of sorts, because it comes just a day after Buck was caught on television consoling New York's injured star, which must have brought a little warmth to the hearts of Mets fans. 

On Monday, the Mets announced star pitcher Matt Harvey was diagnosed with a partial tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm. As Adam Rubin of ESPN notes, the injury will likely end his season and could possibly keep him out the entirety of 2014. 

Which led to the moment shown below: 

It was a truly beautiful and poignant moment between friends dealing with a frustrating season. Yeah, both are gone now—one to the DL and the other to Pittsburgh. 

Hey, but the Mets have some nifty T-shirts to hand out Tuesday. I really hope they go through with the giveaway, because Mets fans need a laugh right now. 

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