A.J. Preller’s aggressive deadline deals for Robbie Ray and Casey Mize have transformed San Diego’s rotation, fueling a nine-spot climb as the club chases a Wild Card.
The MLB as a whole has been shaken up in the aftermath of the 2026 trade deadline, and for the San Diego Padres in particular, the last couple of months of the regular season hold a whole new significance.
It shouldn’t have been a question of whether or not the Padres would be buyers or sellers at the deadline with A.J. Preller still leading the front office. They went all in on starting pitching help, giving up multiple top prospects in the two big deals.
Left-handed starter Robbie Ray was acquired from the division rival San Francisco Giants in exchange for RHP prospect Miguel Mendez and SS prospect Joniel Hernandez. At the buzzer of the deadline, San Diego also landed former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers. In that deal, Preller sent two left-handed pitching prospects, Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf, to Detroit.
Ray and his 3.08 ERA and Mize and his 2.58 FIP join a Padres rotation that was desperate for some help. With two new high-end starters, the Padres’ rotation has the potential to be one of the best in the game. Assuming all are healthy by the end of the year, facing a San Diego rotation that consists of Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove, Michael King, and now Ray and Mize is certainly a nightmare for any opposing lineup.
Again, the availability of all three remains the issue, with Musgrove still waiting to throw his first pitch since 2024 and Pivetta still rehabbing from his own injury. Both are trending in the right direction, however, with the possibility of returning to the mound in full capacity by the end of August.
As the deadline does, the league has seen significant shifts in both directions. The Padres have solidified their spots in the win-now direction, but how far have they climbed?
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter has San Diego flying up nine spots in the post-deadline power rankings, from No. 19 to No. 10. Along with their aggressiveness on Monday, their play over the last couple of weeks has greatly contributed to their rise.
In their last 10 games, the Padres have gone 8-2, including a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins and a two-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. They lost the first of four to the Arizona Diamondbacks last night, which took them two games back from a Wild Card spot, but they’re sure to come back swinging once all the deadline dust has settled.
The month of August will be a test as they face postseason-hopeful clubs like the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins, and the Tampa Bay Rays in the coming weeks. It won’t be an easy task, but a series win against Arizona will go a long way in the Wild Card race for the Padres.
We’ve seen the Padres go on late-season runs before, and after this year’s deadline, we could be in store for yet another one. If there ends up being no postseason baseball to show for what San Diego gave up at the deadline, this is the moment people will look back on in disappointment.
