"I've got to imagine that's pretty historic" - Padres manager Mike Shildt reserves high praise for Dylan Cease's commitment

Dylan Cease, the San Diego Padres' new pitcher, had a rough time going to South Korea for the two-game Seoul Series. Because the trade was finalized as the Padres were leaving on their charter flight, he missed that flight and had to go to South Korea on a regular airline.

As it is, he could have stayed in the U.S. because he's not scheduled to pitch. Diamondbacks manager Mike Shildt confirmed to MLB.com that despite the trouble Cease has reached the destination:

“Talk about history, I've got to imagine that's pretty historic – you show up for the first time, you get traded, you meet your club in Seoul. But he's excited. Talked to him briefly before I came in here. Sitting down across from Joe Musgrove, breaking bread, so they're getting acquainted with each other.”

Diamondbacks' Torey Lovullo gives his thoughts on Division rivals signing Dylan Cease

The San Diego Padres landed Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox in a trade last week. However, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo is not happy about it.

"I wish the best players would quit coming to the NL West,’’ Lovullo said, according to Bob Nightengale.

Cease had a wonderful 2022 season, finishing as the runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award. He had 227 strikeouts in 184 innings.

Dylan Cease has joined a group of players who have entered baseball's toughest league this offseason: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Matt Chapman, Tyler Glasnow, and Jorge Soler.

The Diamondbacks, who surprised many by reaching the World Series last year, also had a good offseason, acquiring Eduardo Rodriguez, Eugenio Suarez, and Joc Pederson. The team is mainly led by Corbin Carroll, Gabriel Moreno, and Zac Gallen.

Cease’s presence makes the division more interesting. The NL West is expected to be a pitcher's paradise, with some of the best pitchers in the game involved.