BREAKING: Padres Add Tigers' Casey Mize In Buzzer-Beating Trade Deadline Deal

In their second move of the day to bolster their starting rotation, the San Diego Padres acquired right-hander Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman. The Padres also picked up utility infielder Gage Workman in the deal.

Heading to Detroit are High-A Fort Wayne left-hander Kash Mayfield, Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect who pitched in the Futures Game, and Triple-A El Paso left-handed starter Jackson Wolf. Mayfield was the Padres' first-round draft choice in 2024.

Mize joins left-hander Robbie Ray as acquisitions at the 2026 deadline, with Mize being a buzzer-beating pickup. Both of those sandwich right-hander Michael King at the top of the Padres' rotation, with right-hander Walker Buehler at No. 4 and decisions to be made at No. 5.

But the bottom line is the rotation is tremendously better than it was when everyone woke up Monday morning. Ray, King and Mize is a postseason-worthy rotation. Based on their last starts, Mize and Ray can slot into the rotation as soon as Tuesday, when they have the second game of a huge four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team the Padres trail by one game in the NL wild-card chase along with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mize is making $6.15 million this year, with $1.8 million left this year, before becoming a free agent.

Mize was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 draft out of Auburn and made his MLB debut in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He had Tommy John surgery in June 2022 that caused him to miss the 2023 season. He returned in 2024 and was an All-Star in 2025 with a 3.89 FIP (3.87 ERA) with a 5.7% walk rate and 22.2% strikeout rate in 28 starts and 149 innings, just shy of his carer high of 150⅓ from 2021. Mize followed that up this year with even better numbers. In 86⅔ innings over 16 starts, Mize has a 2.58 FIP (2.70 ERA) with a 5.6% walk rate and a 24.9% strikeout rate, the latter topping his career best set last year. His walk rate is the second-best of his career.

Workman still has minor-league options left and might be headed to Triple-A El Paso. He was a fourth-round draft choice of the Tigers in 2020 out of Arizona State. Workman was then taken by the Chicago Cubs in the Rule 5 draft after the 2024 season and traded to the Chicago White Sox in April 2025 for cash. He played in a total of 17 games with the two Chicago teams, going 3-for-16 (.188) before being returned to the Tigers as a failed Rule 5 pick. He has appeared in 16 games with the Tigers this year, going 6-for-38 for a .158/.158/.395 slash line with two homers and five RBIs.

Giving up Mayfield is a big blow considering Mize is a two-month rental, the same as Ray, who fetched right-hander Miguel Mendez (Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect) and 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez. But that is also the state of the Padres' farm system, ranked last by every major outlet.

At Fort Wayne this season, the 21-year-old had a 3.54 ERA in 15 starts and 53⅓ innings. He had a 10.3% walk rate and 29% strikeout rate. Mayfield has shown front-of-the-rotation ability this season.

Wolf had been in contention to join the Padres' rotation in spring, but started the season at Triple-A, where he has been all season. He has a 7.56 ERA in 24 games (17 starts) for the Chihuahuas, with 8.7% walk rate and 16.8 strikeout rate.

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