When will Dylan Cease make his Padres debut? Exploring timeline of ace pitcher's first start after blockbuster trade
The San Diego Padres made a blockbuster move just before the start of the regular season.
To everyone's surprise, they traded for Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox just ahead of the Seoul Series. In exchange, they gave up Drew Thorpe, Samuel Zavala, Jairo Iriarte and Steven Wilson.
Following this trade, many are wondering if Cease will make his debut in the upcoming Seoul Series. As per Bob Nightengale, Cease will not leave with the Padres teammates on the flight to Seoul but is expected to join the team there.
However, it doesn't necessarily mean that Cease will pitch during the two-game series.
Cease is an upfront starter who hasn't had the chance to prepare with the Padres camp in the spring training, as he was still with the White Sox. Moreover, the Padres have announced their starters for the first two games, so expecting Cease to start in Seoul appears to be a far-fetched idea.
Secondly, will he come in the middle innings? The answer could be yes, but it seems unlikely. If he becomes a reliever, it would be tough for the coaching staff to get him back in the rotation because the middle reliever doesn't require the same buildup as the starter does. So, expect Dylan Cease to enjoy the game in Seoul from the clubhouse.
Moreover, the Padres will have some time after this series to prepare the ace for the build-up to the start. Expectations are that he will take the mound between Feb. 28 and Mar. 5.
Seoul Series starters announced: Dodgers vs. Padres set to hit the stride
Both teams have announced their starters for the upcoming two-game series scheduled on Mar. 20 and 21 at Gocheok Sky Dome Stadium in Seoul.
Yu Darvish will start for the Padres and will be up against Tyler Glasnow, who will take the mound for the Dodgers in Game 1. Glasnow was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this offseason and has done well in spring training.
The second game will see Joe Musgrove go toe-to-toe with Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto. All eyes will be on Yamamoto as he makes his MLB debut for the Dodgers after signing a whopping 12 year, $325 million deal.