San Diego Padres 2026 Trade Deadline Grades: A Restrained A.J. Preller Is Still Effective

The moment the San Diego Padres started to pick up a little bit of momentum, you just knew that they were going to pivot to a buyer's stance ahead of the 2026 trade deadline. Selling was always going to be a tough, well, sell for an executive with the reputation of A.J. Preller. But their five-game winning streak and eight-of-nine run prior to Monday certainly made justifying a buy approach easier. 

Of course, there was also a certain degree of apprehension as to just how wild Preller could go when in the buyer's chair. The team had as dire a need in their rotation as anyone in Major League Baseball, with some bullpen relief and perhaps a supplementary bat on the list as well. With myriad starting arms available, though, that's where the focus was always going to be. 

Let's talk about how Preller emerged from the deadline. 

Padres Acquire SP Robbie Ray In Intradivision Deal

Trade: Padres acquire LHP Robbie Ray from San Francisco Giants in exchange for RHP Miguel Mendez & IF Joniel Hernandez

Robbie Ray is not necessarily the pitcher that he used to be. We haven't seen him post big strikeout numbers over a full season since roughly 2022. However, the Padres weren't necessarily in a situation where they needed excellence atop the rotation. They needed stability. Ray has the ability to provide just that. 

Ray has averaged 5.5 innings per start this season across 21 of them for the Giants. What he lacks in pure stuff, he compensates for in his ability to largely avoid hard contact (37.5 Hard-Hit%) and effectively navigate baserunners (79.0 LOB%). He's also avoided home runs in each of the last two seasons far more than he did early in his career, with homer-to-flyball rates under 10 percent in each of 2025 & 2026. 

From a prospect standpoint, the Padres lose one of the more intriguing arms in their system in Mendez. With a high-velocity fastball and effective slider, there was likely to be a place on the major-league staff for him before long. However, with that type of profile, the floor remained relatively unclear. Could he hang as a starter? Would command issues relegate him to bullpen duty? That lack of clarity around his future role likely made the Padres at least somewhat more comfortable in dealing him. Hernandez, meanwhile, is almost an entirely unknown quantity and multiple years away. 

At the end of the day, the Padres got a pending free agent pitcher (with postseason experience) who helps to stabilize their rotation in a way that was absolutely needed, even if he's not performing at the level we've seen from him in his younger years.

Grade: B+

Padres Snag Casey Mize at Trade Deadline Buzzer

Trade: Padres acquire RHP Casey Mize & IF Gage Workman from Detroit Tigers in exchange for LHP Kash Mayfield & LHP Jackson Wolf

Like Robbie Ray, Casey Mize is a pending free agent. Unlike Ray, he's at something resembling a performance peak. The former No. 1 overall pick had battled injury issues during his time with the Tigers, but spun that into an All-Star campaign in 2025 and a season that looks even better in 2026 (albeit one that has seen the odd injury issue sprinkled in). 

Through 16 starts, Mize has a 2.70 ERA (2.58 FIP), a 24.9 K%, and a 5.6 BB%. That latter figure sits in the 90th percentile, indicating just how "on" Mize has been throughout 2026. Each of those numbers overall are better than the ones he posted a year ago when he was an All-Star. He doesn't necessarily work at the same volume Ray's able to provide, but there is legitimate upside here that' he's finally realizing.

To acquire that upside, the Padres had to part with their No. 2 prospect in Kash Mayfield. Perhaps re-signing Mize makes that a little more digestible. Even if they don't, though, Mize was one of the better arms available based on performance, even as a pending free agent. You have to give something to get something, and Mize further fortifies the starting group alongside Ray. His upside makes the deal just a touch more interesting for San Diego, however.

Also of note: Workman & Wolf offer a little bit of extra depth for each organization. Workman can move around the infield, but will have to mitigate some massive strikeout issues before becoming a viable bench piece. That Wolf hadn't been a factor for a Padres team desperately in need of arms tells you all you need to know about him.

Grade: A-

Padres Find Bullpen Depth In Hunter Stratton

Trade: Padres acquire RHP Hunter Stratton from Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for RHP Andrew Moore

Stratton checks a box, and that's kind of where it ends. Designated for assignment for the Pirates upon the arrival of Camilo Doval, the Padres were happy to accommodate him within their own organization. He's been pretty respectable across 28 minor-league appearances in Atlanta and Pittsburgh this season (3.31 ERA, 4.05 FIP), but will have to settle some command issues before emerging as anything remotely trustworthy in the Padres' elite bullpen. At the end of the day, they wanted a bit of extra depth on the relief front. Stratton does that, unspectacular as he may be.

Grade: C