The San Diego Padres got some exciting news on Wednesday before they flew across the Pacific for their season-opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in South Korea. Pitcher Dylan Cease was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox in exchange for three of San Diego’s top prospects.
It’s a major move that’ll make manager Mike Shildt’s job a little easier in his first season in charge of the Padres. But the trade also made Shildt’s job much more stressful for a few moments on Wednesday afternoon.
When Shildt addressed the media after the Padres’ spring training finale, news of the Cease trade had already broken but it had yet to be officially announced. That left Shildt in the awkward position of having to address reporters without being able to answer the question on all of their minds.
Asked what he and general manager A.J. Preller had just discussed, Shildt played coy.
“Just talked about a good Cactus League, and felt good about it,” Shildt said with a smile.
The same reporter followed up and asked if Preller had shared any news.
“No, none for me,” Shildt replied.
Another reporter tried a different approach, asking Shildt, “How’s the travel roster looking right now?”
Again, Shildt didn’t take the bait.
“It looks like the travel roster that I left before the game,” he said. “I wish I could help you.”
The Padres officially announced the Cease deal about three hours later, so Shildt is free to answer any questions about how Cease fits into the rotation once he addresses the media in Korea.
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