The San Diego Padres have beefed up their starting rotation by adding former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray in a trade with the San Francisco Giants on Monday, according to multiple reports.
The deal, which is not yet official, would net the Giants right-hander Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez — the Padres’ No. 4 and No. 9 prospects, respectively, according to MLB Pipeline — per the New York Post and The Athletic.
Ray, 34, has been one of MLB’s best pitchers for the last two months. Since the start of June, the left-hander has delivered a 7-0 record with a 1.65 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts). Only the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski has fashioned a better ERA among starters.
For the year, Ray has posted a 3.08 ERA across 22 games (21 starts), which marks his lowest ERA since his Cy Young-winning campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. He’s 10-6 on the year with 107 strikeouts versus 57 walks across 122 2/3 innings.
Ray is set to make $26 million in 2026 and will be a free agent after this season.
Across 13 seasons in the big leagues, Ray has spent time with the Detroit Tigers (2014), Arizona Diamondbacks (2015-19), the Blue Jays (2020-21), the Seattle Mariners (2022-23) and the Giants (2024-26). In 287 career games (282 starts), he has produced a 98-87 record with a 3.87 ERA and two All-Star appearances to go along with his Cy Young.
Mendez, 24, has spent most of this season at Double-A San Antonio, where he owns a 2-2 record and a 4.93 ERA in 11 starts with 38 strikeouts and 17 walks across 34 2/3 innings.
Hernandez, a 17-year-old Cuba native, made his professional debut this year with the Padres’ Dominican Summer League team. He has compiled a .303/.424/.503 slash line with four home runs, four stolen bases, 38 runs and 43 RBIs in 41 games.
