"Carlos Beltran's jersey was still on view Wednesday afternoon in the same corner stall where it had been all week at Great American Ballpark, a lingering reminder of what was and no longer is.

Beltran, himself, was not around the Mets' clubhouse. He is about to become a San Francisco Giant in exchange for the right-handed pitching prospect Zack Wheeler. The trade, which is still awaiting final clearance from Major League Baseball, concludes Beltran's six-and-a-half-year run in New York, which is ending up more bittersweet than triumphant, with only one postseason appearance by the Mets and no championship ring.

At the end, Beltran's jersey was an artifact and a stark signal to his teammates that the remainder of the 2011 season, without Beltran in the lineup, will probably be a struggle."