SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres front office hit a buzzer-beater moments before Monday's 3 p.m. PT trade deadline, acquiring right-hander Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for left-handed pitchers Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Mize, 29, joins LHP Robbie Ray as San Diego's recent additions and becomes a vital piece to the Padres' pitching staff. The No. 1 overall pick in 2018 has flourished in his sixth season in the majors, owning a 2.70 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 16 starts this season. Mize earned his first All-Star selection in 2025, posting a 3.87 ERA with 149 strikeouts while helping Detroit reach the postseason before eventually losing in five games to the Seattle Mariners in the American League Division Series.
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller addressed San Diego's most glaring weakness by acquiring two proven starters, bolstering a staff that now has the potential to be one of the National League's most improved rotations.
The deal comes two days after Detroit dealt two-time CY Young award winner Tarik Skubal to the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who hold a firm 10-game grip on the NL West.
Mayfield, San Diego's No. 3 prospect according to Baseball America, is the headlining piece going back to Detroit. The 2024 first round pick boasted a 3.24 ERA over two seasons in Low-A Lake Elsinore and High-A Fort Wayne. MLB pipeline projects Mayfield to debut in 2028.
San Diego also traded Wolf, a 6-foot-7 left hander who made one appearance for San Diego in July 2023. The 27-year-old has posted a 7.05 ERA in 89.1 inning this season in AAA for the El Paso Chihuahuas.
In the end, San Diego traded three of their top nine prospects to acquire the two starters.
It wasn't Juan Soto. It wasn't Mason Miller. It wasn't a mega blockbuster. But, it was an active day that landed the Padres two of the best starting pitchers on the trade market and improves San Diego's chances of reaching the postseason for the fourth time in the last five seasons.