Neil Walker Reportedly Traded to Brewers by Mets

The Milwaukee Brewers have reportedly pulled off a deal to acquire second baseman Neil Walker in a trade with the New York Mets. 

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports first reported the Brewers and Mets were "close" on a deal. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports later reported the swap was done. There is no word yet on what New York will receive.

The Brewers have been trying to find an upgrade at second base since before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. ESPN's Buster Olney reported on July 22 the team was "digging into the possibility" of going after Ian Kinsler of the Detroit Tigers. 

Rosenthal reported Aug. 9 the Tigers placed Kinsler on revocable waivers, allowing the Brewers to put in a claim on him or wait for him to clear before engaging in trade talks. However, Rosenthal also noted Milwaukee was on Kinsler's 10-team no-trade list, and he would have to approve a deal.

Walker cleared waivers Aug. 6 and is a strong addition to Milwaukee's lineup. The 31-year-old is hitting .264/.339/.442 with 10 home runs, but a hamstring injury has limited him to 73 games. 

Milwaukee second basemen have been awful in 2017, collectively hitting .244/.312/.360 with a .672 OPS, which ranks 25th in Major League Baseball. The Brewers are just three games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, so Walker gives the team added hope of closing that gap over the final seven weeks of the regular season.