The Major League Baseball trade deadline ended at 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time on Friday, though one player was a few times zones away when his deal was announced.
Simeon Woods Richardson, 20, is currently in Tokyo as a pitcher on the United States men's national team.
When he left to play in Japan, he was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization, pitching in their farm system. As Team USA prepares for their tournament match against Japan, Woods Richardson is now a member of the Minnesota Twins.
He answered the phone while "half-asleep" at 2:00 A.M. in Tokyo to hear the news of his new deal.
The pitcher was sent to Minnesota along with shortstop Austin Martin in exchange for two-time All-Star Jose Berrios.
It's the second time Woods Richardson has been involved in a trade with an MLB All-Star; in 2019 the Mets (who drafted him) traded him in a deal that brought them pitching phenom Marcus Stroman.
Now officially a part of the Minnesota Twins, Woods Richardson will see a familiar face when he returns to the states. Fellow Team USA pitcher Joe Ryan was also traded to the Twins after joining the Olympic roster.
Reuters contributed to this report.
