Jan. 1 (UPI) -- All-Star pitcher Yu Darvish said he was "shocked" to learn he was traded this week from the Chicago Cubs to the San Diego Padres.
"I wasn't expecting to be traded," Darvish told reporters on Thursday. "And obviously, this happened in one single day. I was pretty shocked, [but] not in a bad way.
"With what's happening with the coronavirus and money that the Cubs have, I wasn't thinking about being traded. Also, they are a winning team. I thought we'd be able to compete. But obviously, I was shocked in a good way."
Darvish said he found out he was traded when he checked Twitter on Monday. He said his former Cubs teammates also were shocked when they found out about the transaction.
The Padres made the deal official Tuesday. San Diego sent Zach Davies, Reginald Preciado, Yeison Santana, Owen Caissie and Ismael Mena to Chicago in exchange for Darvish, catcher Victor Caratini and cash considerations.
Darvish's move to the Padres came one day after the team acquired 2018 Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays.
"I think this is one of the best teams in baseball right now," Darvish said of the Padres. "I wanted to throw against the Padres last season just to see how good I was. I always want to fight against the best teams.
"I can't imagine it right now, but I've been having my kids watch highlights of the Padres lineup on YouTube. They are a very strong team."
