Baseball
Baseball
Padres Bolster Rotation with Acquisition of Casey Mize
The Padres have significantly reinforced their pitching staff, acquiring right-handed starter Casey Mize and infielder Gage Workman from the Tigers just as the trade deadline concluded. In return, Detroit received left-handed pitching prospects Kash Mayfield, ranked as San Diego’s number two prospect, and Jackson Wolf. This move follows an earlier deal by the Padres for pitcher Robbie Ray, addressing a key area of need for the contending club.
Mize, a former first overall draft pick in 2018, is enjoying a standout season, posting a 2.70 ERA over 16 starts in 2026. His performance this year includes career-best marks in ERA+, FIP, K/BB ratio, and strikeout rate, aided by increased slider usage. The 29-year-old right-hander, an All-Star in 2025, has a career ERA+ of 107 and is slated to become a free agent after the current season, with a remaining salary balance of $6.15 million. He had been scratched from a scheduled Friday start, signaling an impending trade.
Mize brings postseason experience to San Diego, having made brief playoff appearances in 2024 and 2025 for the Tigers. Over six combined innings in those starts, he yielded two runs on three hits, striking out seven and walking four. He will join a San Diego rotation that now features Michael King, Robbie Ray, and Walker Buehler, providing a substantial boost as the team aims to solidify its position in the playoff race.
The Padres’ new acquisitions come as the team has won eight of its last nine games, moving within a game of a Wild Card spot. The addition of Mize, along with Ray, transforms what was considered a rotation question mark into a potential strength. Mayfield, described as having a “mid-rotation ceiling,” and Wolf, who appeared in one MLB game in 2023 and holds a 7.05 ERA in Triple-A this season, head to Detroit as the Tigers continue to reshape their roster.
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