If the Padres had a deadline move they could erase, this would be the one.
A.J. Preller went after what looked like a front-line arm and ended up with a pitcher who made the rotation worse.
San Diego acquired Casey Mize and infielder Gage Workman from the Tigers for left-handers Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf, believing they were getting a starter who could steady the stretch run. Instead, they paid one of their top pitching prospects for a rental that unraveled fast and finished on the injured list before the postseason.
Mize’s numbers with Detroit made the gamble look reasonable at the time. He came over with a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts, the kind of midseason production that fits Preller’s usual brand of bold. Once he arrived in San Diego, though, the whole thing went sideways.
In 10 starts for the Padres, Mize posted a 7.46 ERA. He gave up 37 earned runs and 13 home runs in just 44 2/3 innings.
His final outing was especially rough, with seven runs and three homers allowed against the Diamondbacks. That was a long way from the impact starter San Diego thought it was buying.
There was also a physical explanation for part of the collapse. Mize originally hurt his ankle after slipping on the dugout steps in August, and it reportedly kept affecting his mechanics after he returned. So the decline wasn’t happening in a vacuum.
Still, the Padres weren’t trading for a rehab project. They paid for immediate help, and they paid a premium by giving up their No. 2 prospect.
The idea was simple: Mize was supposed to help win games that mattered. Instead, too many of his starts turned into survival mode for the lineup and bullpen.
That’s the risk baked into Preller’s approach. He doesn’t stand pat, and that urgency has kept San Diego in the mix. But aggressive trades only make sense when the return matches the price, and the Padres have now emptied plenty of prospect capital on short-term fixes that leave them looking for the same answers a few months later.
There were other deadline deals that can be argued over. This one isn’t one of them. If San Diego could rewind just one move, it would send Mize and Workman back to Detroit, put Mayfield and Wolf back in the system, and call the whole thing off.
In Other News...
Padres Suddenly Linked To An Outfield Move That Could Test Tatis
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Kwan would not just be another depth add, though. San Diego has shown past interest in him, and if the club seriously pushes in that direction, it could force some real thought about how the batting order is constructed around Fernando Tatis Jr. for next season, which is part of what makes this rumor worth watching as the winter market develops. [Read more 🡒]
Michael King Just Addressed The Padres Question Fans Keep Asking
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King addressed the speculation directly and made clear he would like to stay in San Diego, describing the city as a second home. The contract mechanics still leave room for a decision down the road, with money and timing set to become a bigger part of the conversation as the deal moves forward, but for now the more interesting part is the tone King set after the season: he sounded like someone who wants this to keep going. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Could Lose A Bullpen Strength They Cant Easily Replace
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Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta add another layer to the decision-making. Matsui has an opt-out available, and Peralta has a player option to consider for 2027, giving the Padres more moving parts at a time when dependable left-handed relief is not easy to find. For a club that has leaned on bullpen strength as a defining part of its roster construction, losing continuity here could force a costly search for replacements. [Read more 🡒]