If the San Diego Padres had delayed their trade for Dylan Cease any longer, they might have had to reroute a plane.
On Wednesday night, news broke that the Padres were acquiring the right-handed ace from the Chicago White Sox just as Padres players and their partners were boarding a bus bound for the airport en route to Korea.
Among them was Steven Wilson, the right-handed reliever traded to Chicago in the deal, who received a phone call while at a picnic table with Michael King, Joe Musgrove, and others. Immediately, he began packing his belongings.
Wilson went from anticipating a trip to Korea with his teammates to being traded to an American League team in the midst of a rebuild—a dramatic turn of events.
As he packed, his teammates approached to bid him farewell. Jackson Merrill stood to embrace Wilson, while Trevor Hoffman, dressed casually for the flight, gave him a bear hug. Michael King and catcher Kyle Higashioka also exchanged goodbyes, leaving Wilson visibly emotional as he shook hands with a reporter still on-site.
The Padres had identified a clear gap in their rotation for the 2024 season and sought to fill it with Cease, who boasted a 2.20 ERA in 32 starts in 2022. Moreover, Cease’s salary of just $8 million for the year and team control through 2025 aligned perfectly with the Padres’ financial strategy.
However, the timing of the trade proved challenging for Wilson and his teammates, transitioning abruptly from anticipation to loss as they realized one of their own would not be joining them.
Wilson had been a standout reliever in the Padres’ bullpen, posting a 3.48 ERA over 102 appearances between 2022 and 2023. He was the sole major leaguer sent to the White Sox in exchange, alongside prospects Drew Thorpe, Jairo Iriarte, and Samuel Zavala.
Now, Wilson will prepare for the season with the White Sox at Camelback Ranch, while his former teammates gear up for an early morning game against the Dodgers in Korea—a game he might catch live if he wakes up at 3:05 a.m.