Schoop, Gausman talk about trades and their time in Baltimore

NEW YORK - Jonathan Schoop is taking his 12-game hitting streak and red-hot July to the Brewers. Kevin Gausman is taking his blazing fastball and enormous potential, which showed itself in spurts, to a Braves team loaded with familiar faces.

Both players had reddened eyes as they stood outside the clubhouse and talked to the media. Gausman choked up a few times and finally used his T-shirt to wipe them. The excitement of joining a pennant race and the next phases of their professional careers was countered by the painful goodbyes to teammates, manager Buck Showalter and his coaching staff.

This is the face of a rebuild. And it comes with tears.

"It's, I can't explain it," Schoop said. "I've got to thank the fans, the Orioles fans, and I've got to thank Buck for giving me the chance to be a big leaguer. I've got to thank all of the coaching staff, especially Bobby (Dickerson), who helped be through my career in the minor leagues coming up and making me the player I am right now.

"My agent talked with me and told me it was 50/50, and then I stepped into an Uber to come here and he told me it was more than 50, so don't be surprised."

Schoop walked in the clubhouse, glanced at MLB Network on one of the televisions and wondered aloud if he should put on his uniform. As if on cue, Schoop grabbed his cell phone and walked away to take a call.

The player voted Most Valuable Oriole was on his way out.

"It's difficult. It's really difficult," he said. "Some guys you've been with them since the minor leagues. It's real difficult. It didn't sink in yet. When you say goodbye, you feel sad a little bit. You're going to leave your teammates, the guys you grew up with, Adam (Jones), the guys I've watched since I was coming up.

"It's sad, but it's business. I've got to move forward. I was sad, but I got a message from Manny (Machado). He's going to see me and play against me. That was good news."

Schoop can become a free agent following the 2019 season and the Orioles didn't attempt to negotiate a contract extension.

Asked whether he's disappointed that no effort was made to keep him long-term, Schoop replied, "I cannot say that.

"They know what they're doing. They know what's good for them. Maybe they have something differently planned. They told me they want a rebuild. The one thing I know to go out there and play baseball. The business side, I know nothing about it, so they know more than me."

Schoop said he wanted to stay with the organization that brought him to the majors, where he became an All-Star in 2017.

"Yes, because this is the team that gave me the chance," he said. "This is the team that signed me since Curacao and gave me the chance to be a big leaguer. Know what I mean? But now I'm in Milwaukee, so I need to focus on them, focus on my new team. Go over there, give my all over there and win.

"It's exciting to go there into a pennant race and trying to help the team win. Bringing everything I can bring to try to help them win. They're young over there, too. They're rolling right now. I'm excited to go there and contribute right away."

Schoop is the last player to leave before the non-waiver deadline, following Machado, Gausman, closer Zach Britton and relievers Brad Brach and Darren O'Day. A team with the worst record in baseball has hit the reset button.

"So many people have gone," Schoop said. "I walk in and don't even know Kevin was going, too. It's tough. What more can I say? I have to just think about the Brewers right now and go out there and help them win and be the best player I can be."

Gausman is under team control through 2020, but the Orioles also save on his salary and get back four minor leaguers and $2.5 million in international signing bonus money.

"You know, in this game nowadays, you never know until it actually happens, so I didn't want to be so shocked, so I kind of tried to prepare myself just in case something happens," Gausman said. "But honestly, I'm really excited to go to a team that's playing really well right now, playing meaningful games. Obviously, I know Dave (Wallace) and Dom Chiti over there. I just think it's a good fit.

"After talking to their GM, they really liked me and feel like they have some things that they think they can help me with. And I'm excited."

The positive feelings were buried beneath a sadness that kept bubbling to the surface. Gausman had to stop a few times and turn away until someone in the media changed the subject.

"Yeah, it's weird," he said. "I think the toughest thing is saying bye to your teammates. Yeah, that's probably the toughest thing."

Gausman wasn't able to finish. Next question.

"We're in a rebuild, obviously," he said. "I kind of felt like if we were going to get rid of Schoop, it was going to be a rebuild. Obviously, getting rid of me and Darren is part of it, too. Kind of a sad day, to kind of see the band broken up.

"I was part of some really good teams here. The last two years have been real frustrating, both on us and on the fans and I think on our staff, too. Unfortunately, that's the way I'm going out.

"I was a part of 2014. I had some big innings in the playoffs. I was part of one of the teams that kind of brought quality baseball back to Baltimore. That '14 team was special."

Familiarity should ease Gausman's transition to Atlanta, where teammates will include Brad Brach, Darren O'Day, Nick Markakis and Ryan Flaherty. Wallace and Chiti, his former pitching coach and bullpen coach, respectively, are part of the Braves front office staff.

It's got to help, right?

"Yeah, absolutely," Gausman said.

He had to stop again. Next question.

"After talking to their GM, they felt real strongly about my presence, to be able to come in and pitch a lot of innings," he said. "I think part of it was the success that I had in the second half. I think a lot of teams looked at that and needed a big arm in the second half and I'm sure that had something to do with that, also."

Gausman wasn't able to tie together big first and second halves after the Orioles made him the fourth overall pick in 2012 out of LSU. He compiled a 39-51 record with a 4.22 ERA and 1.350 WHIP in 150 games (127 starts) and he's 5-8 this season with a 4.43 ERA and 1.379 WHIP in 21 outings.

"I feel like, to be honest, in my time here, I don't feel like I pitched to my abilities," he said. "It's unfortunate to say that. I really feel like I had two years here where I was [pitching] to the best of my ability."

Gausman and Dylan Bundy, the fourth overall pick in 2011, became close friends in spite of their different interests and personalities. The media kept linking them together due to their draft positions and the weighty expectations that followed them. They were supposed to be two aces in the pitching deck.

Did Gausman get a chance to say goodbye?

"There's still some guys I haven't talked to," he said.

He had to stop. No more questions.