Padres' Recent Trade Acquisition Sounds Happy To Be Out Of Chicago

He's back in the Windy City this week.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Recently acquired San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease has returned to his old city this week, as the Padres headed to Chicago to take on the Chicago Cubs. While Cease was drafted by the Cubs in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft, he didn't end up playing for them in the major leagues and was instead traded to the White Sox in 2017.

He finally made his major league debut in 2019, and had his best season for the White Sox in 2022. In 2022, he was the American League Pitcher of the Month in both June and July. He posted a 2.20 ERA, the lowest of his career, and made the All-MLB second-team.

Things went south though for Cease and the White Sox in 2023, as the whole team struggled. His ERA jumped up to 4.59, and he went just 7-9.

Cease told the Associated Press last season “wasn’t enjoyable in really any way.”

At least now he's in a much better spot with the Padres, following a surprise trade consummated just one week before the start of the 2024 regular season. Cease has started the year with a 4-2 record and a 2.55 ERA — lowest among Padres' starters.

Even though Cease didn't enjoy his final year with the White Sox, he's still pleased to be back at Wrigley Field, where he played even before his major league career began.

"It's always good to come back," Cease said, via ESPN. "Obviously I don't have quite as much history with the Cubs, but I enjoy Wrigley. I enjoy Chicago."

It appears that the trade has worked out for Cease. Not only is he playing much better this year, but he is on a much better team. The Padres are currently 19-19 and have won five of their last six games. Meanwhile, the White Sox continue to struggle and hold just an 8-27 record.