One of the larger remaining dominoes in the MLB’s trade deadline sweepstakes fell early Monday afternoon, when the San Diego Padres, a team on the fringes of playoff contention after being a regular participant in the postseason tournament for most of the 2020’s, made a trade with the San Francisco Giants for starting pitcher Robbie Ray.
Here are the full trade details:
San Francisco Giants Receive:
- RHP Miguel Mendez
- SS Joniel Hernandez
San Diego Padres Receive:
- LHP Robbie Ray
Trade Grade:
Giants: San Francisco is going nowhere this season, as it has the NL’s third-worst record at 47-65 and stands almost no chance of making the playoffs. The Giants have the 13th-highest payroll in baseball, so Ray proved expendable on a non-contender. While he’s been good for them, helping the team win in 14 of his 22 appearances this season, they got a pretty good return for him. Mendez is the Padres’ fourth-ranked prospect, and though he’s struggled to the tune of a 4.93 ERA across his 11 starts for Double-A San Antonio, he had a 1.32 mark for High-A Fort Wayne last season as a 22-year-old. Hernandez, a 17-year-old Cuban, is far further away from the majors, but he had a .927 OPS in the Dominican Summer League this season. He could be a long-term replacement for Willy Adames, who signed a large deal before the 2025 season but has struggled so far.
Grade: A-
Padres: Even at the age of 34, Ray has been as solid as ever this season. In 22 appearances (21 starts), he’s pitched to a 3.08 ERA, the lowest he’s recorded since his Cy Young Award-winning season in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He’s been especially spectacular over his last eight starts, recording a 1.09 ERA across that span. While advanced numbers are less kind to Ray, who ranks below the median in all but two Statcast categories, he should fill a need with the team. San Diego ranks just 27th in rotation ERA and allowed the eighth-highest batting average to left-handed batters, and he’s held southpaws to an OPS 95 points lower throughout his career. He also has lots of experience pitching in the NL West, having spent time with both the Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mendez and Hernandez are a steep price to pay for an impending free agent, but if the Padres want any chance of making the playoffs for the third straight season, Ray was a reasonable addition.
Grade: B+
