Milwaukee.Brewers.MLB.com

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com

"I'm just looking forward to having an opportunity to play and be a part of the Brew Crew," Junior Spivey said. (David Zalubowski/AP)

If a deal goes down this time, don't expect the former All-Star to utter the word "devastated" in his post-deal reaction.

Before he ever pulled on the team's uniform, Spivey's use of that word irked Brewers fans already smarting from losing the team's best and most popular player. He said the "D" word when asked by an Arizona reporter about the nine-player trade that sent Brewers All-Star Richie Sexson to Arizona and six players, including Spivey, to Milwaukee.

Not exactly the impression he wanted to make with his new fan base.

Two months later, Spivey visited Milwaukee for the first time and was able to clarify.

"I was devastated in the sense that I couldn't believe I got traded," Spivey said. "I mean, I don't care who I play for as long as I'm in the big leagues. If there's a Major League team out in Australia, I'll go there and I won't complain about it."

According to his former teammates, Spivey was the victim of a misunderstanding.

"That's not him at all to complain," new Brewers catcher Chad Moeller said. "He's just a great guy, a great teammate."

Spivey will not go to Australia, but he may be headed out of Milwaukee. A number of Brewers players are capable of manning second base, including Spivey, Keith Ginter, Craig Counsell and Bill Hall, and 2003 draft pick Rickie Weeks is a few years away, and Spivey's name has resurfaced in trade rumors. One radio report said the Oakland A's are interested in Spivey, and other reports say the Dodgers may be looking for insurance at second base while Alex Cora's broken arm heals.

"The rumors don't bother me at all," Spivey said. "Whoever wants me, whoever wants to keep me, I'm going to go out there and prove myself. This is business."

Originally, it was almost certain that Spivey's tenure with the Brewers would be a short one. Teams like the Indians and Red Sox were looking for a second baseman, and the Brewers had a hole in the outfield.

But the more general manager Doug Melvin learned about Spivey, the less interested he was in a trade.

"People just continued to say great things about this guy," Melvin said. "I think the stuff about him being 'devastated' was blown out of proportion."

In many ways, the home clubhouse at Miller Park is better for Spivey. He dressed there for the 2002 All-Star Game, but suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle in 2003 and played through it. He struggled at the plate as a result, then struggled to get regular playing time under Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly.

In the end, a guy who hit .301 and scored 102 runs in 2002 turned into a .255 hitter with 52 runs scored and only 103 games played in 2003. Told in Spring Training that he would get 600 at-bats, Spivey batted 365 times.

"It's like they forgot he was an All-Star from the year before," Moeller said.

If he stays in Milwaukee, Spivey will battle Keith Ginter for the everyday job at second base.

"This is an awesome opportunity, baseball-wise," Spivey said. "I'm just looking forward to having an opportunity to play and be a part of the Brew Crew. You hear stories about Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, and I'm excited to be part of that.

"I didn't get a chance to prove myself in Arizona the way I should have. I wanted to do that. I was coming off an All-Star season, and then to have a sub-par season and battle through injuries, battle for playing time was tough."

Spivey is one of a number of Diamondbacks looking for a fresh start. First baseman Lyle Overbay endured an up-and-down start to his rookie season and was, for a time, demoted to Triple-A. Moeller was enjoying a solid season but did not mesh with Brenly, and found himself on the bench for most of the second half.

"I saw a lot of things happen there that were just crazy," Spivey said. "I played my heart out there. I think I gave the fans everything I had, and gave the organization everything I had. I wish I had more playing time to prove it. I had things to prove there."

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.