The San Diego Padres have made a significant move ahead of the MLB trade deadline, acquiring veteran left-hander Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for two prospects.
The Padres have been on a surge, winning eight of their last nine games to move just one game back of the final NL wild-card playoff position. General manager A.J. Preller has been willing to part with more of his team's prospects to bolster the roster, and this move is the latest in a string of deadline deals.
Ray, a 34-year-old left-hander, is a former Cy Young Award winner who will be an unrestricted free agent this winter. He has been outstanding over the past two months, posting a 1.65 ERA since the start of June while allowing one earned run or fewer in nine of his past 11 starts.
The Padres desperately needed a veteran starter to bolster their rotation, which has the majors' fourth-highest ERA. They also received cash considerations to pay part of Ray's $25 million salary.
Ray has been largely outstanding for the Giants this season, going 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings. He has won seven consecutive decisions and is the only starting pitcher to beat the Padres in the past 10 days.
The Padres' recent success has been driven by an offense that has awoken from its first-half slumber. However, their starting rotation is perilously thin due to injuries, with only Michael King and Walker Buehler as regular starters.
The team has been forced to throw three bullpen games per rotation turn, with Griffin Canning, Randy Vasquez, and German Marquez anchoring the outings. Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta is on track to return in late August, but veteran Joe Musgrove has not pitched this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2024.
The rotation woes contributed to a midseason slide that had the Padres looking like likely deadline sellers. However, general manager A.J. Preller is back in buyer mode, and this move signals that the team is committed to making a deep playoff run.
Mendez and Hernandez were considered to be two of the top 10 prospects remaining in Preller's system, which has been decimated by years of deadline deals to chase this franchise's first championship. The Padres have made the playoffs in four of the past six seasons, a first in franchise history, but have reached just one NL Championship Series.
The Padres will visit the Diamondbacks starting Monday night for a key four-game series between NL West rivals separated by one game in the wild-card standings. Ray's acquisition will be put to the test in this series, as he faces his former team and the team that he made his name with.
Source: Yahoo Sports