Thanks to our wonderful Brewers reporter Adam McCalvy, I thought I’d pass along what Carlos Gomez had to say on today’s trade that sent him to Milwaukee for SS J.J. Hardy. Needless to say Gomez is excited about the opportunity to get to play every day.

“[Twins GM] Bill Smith called me and said, ‘I have good news and
bad news,'” Gomez said. “I wanted the bad news first and he said, ‘I
traded you. We needed a shortstop.'”

“It’s going to be good for you,” Smith then told Gomez, “because you need to play.”

Gomez’s playing time had been limited with the Twins in 2009 due to the logjam of outfielders, but in Milwaukee he’ll have the center field job all to himself. Brewers general manager Doug Melvin acknowledged that his club would not pursue free agent center fielder Mike Cameron this winter due to the trade. So the veteran will go elsewhere after playing center for Milwaukee for the past two season.

It means that the speedy Gomez and his Gold Glove-caliber defense will be on display for Brewers fans throughout the 2010 season. It marks a return to the National League for Gomez, who came to the Twins in the Johan Santana trade with the Mets in Feb. 2008.

“Coming back to the National League
is exciting,” said Gomez. “It means
you have a chance to play every day. Even if you don’t start, you’re
probably going to get a chance as a pinch-hitter. In the American
League, if you don’t start, you don’t play.

“But I don’t have pinch-hitting in my mind. I want to play every day.”

Both Smith and Melvin assured Gomez that he would indeed get that thanks to this trade.

“I
don’t want to be a backup player. I’m too young to be a backup,” he
said. “If Milwaukee wanted me, they know I can play every day. They
want me to be an exciting player, but to make more contact, work the
count. Get on base.

“It’s going to be exciting. I can’t wait to start.”