Jacob Stallings walked from the negotiating table between Major League Baseball and the Player's Association for a break when he got a call from Bryan Reynolds.
"Did you get traded?" Reynolds asked.
"I don't know, did I?" Stallings responded.
"It was on Twitter before it got to me," Stallings said at loanDepot Park Monday. "Ben [Cherington] called me shortly thereafter, but it was very surprising. I didn't really hear any rumors or anything until that morning that teams were inquiring. I was definitely surprised that it came together that quickly."
The trade of Stallings to the Marlins for three players -- major-league starter Zach Thompson and prospects Kyle Nicolas and Connor Scott -- came together quickly and just before the league implemented a lockout. During that lockout, teams and coaches were not allowed to talk to players on the 40 man roster.
Because of that, Derek Shelton couldn't give a proper goodbye to Stallings. When the lockout ended, Stallings said Shelton was the second person who called him. He wanted to say thank you.
"It was really important to me because you couldn’t talk to him," Shelton said. "We were able to have a much lengthier conversation when the lockout was over, just me telling him how much I appreciated everything he had done for me in my first two years."
Their relationship is why Shelton made a request of Stallings and to Rawlings. Would it be ok to wait to formally present Stallings with the Gold Glove he won last season until the two teams played?
"Obviously I said yes," Stallings said. "I wish we would have played them sooner, but it will be good to get it tomorrow."
Stallings will be presented the award before Tuesday's contest in this four-game series. He will keep it in his Miami family home (which he joked doesn't have a lot of kid-free space) until the Mets come to town the week after the All-Star break so he can take a photo with Glenn Sherlock, now the Mets' bench coach and an influential voice in his defensive development as a catcher.
"I’m excited for our group to see it," Shelton, who campaigned hard for Stallings to win, said. "... It’s going to be a special moment for us to see him get his award."
While he's kept in contact with Reynolds, Chris Stratton, Kevin Newman and some of his former teammates, this series will be the first time Stallings will get to see a lot of his former teammates in person since the trade.
He's been getting used to facing off against familiar foes recently.
"It'll be weird facing Mitch [Keller] tonight," Stallings said. "It's always weird facing those guys, Chad Kuhl a couple weeks ago, obviously Trevor [Williams] is in the division. From that standpoint it's weird, but once you get on the field, you're just on the field playing."
The past two offseasons were transformative for the Pirates' roster, saying goodbye to team staples like Jameson Taillon, Joe Musgrove, Williams, Kuhl, Josh Bell and Colin Moran, to name just a few.
"I just don't think we really realized how unique our situation was and how lucky we were just to come up together and be in the big leagues together for however many years it was, just not realizing how fun that is and how unique that was," Stallings said. "So I think that's just the main thing, just kind of a really cool thing. Looking back on it is fun. You'd love to stay together your whole career, but that hardly ever happens."
But Stallings' impact with the organization goes beyond what he did in the uniform and the prospects the team got back in the trade. Shortly after being traded, Stallings reached out to Henry Davis, the Pirates' No. 1 overall pick last year, to say he was disappointed that they wouldn't be able to work together. If the young catcher ever needed anything, he could reach out to him.
Of course Davis took the opportunity to pick a Gold Glover's brain.
"He took me up on it pretty quickly there," Stallings said. "Texted a handful of times, mostly about receiving and defensive stuff. He would send me video and ask me my thoughts. I tried to offer whatever advice I could. Obviously a special player and really important to the organization."
It's a perfect example of why Stallings was so loved with the Pirates, how he became a clubhouse leader and why his presence is still missed.
"It’s going to be nice to see Jacob," Shelton said. "Special feelings for him just as a person and as a player. It’s challenging anytime you trade a player that means that much in your clubhouse. It’s going to be nice to see Jake."
