The SF Giants had to make a call at the 2026 MLB trade deadline, and Robbie Ray was one of the clearest pieces to move. With the season going off the rails, San Francisco had little choice but to sell, and Ray - a pending free agent after the season - became an obvious trade chip.
He ended up with the San Diego Padres, where he has pitched quite well so far as they chase a Wild Card spot. But the early returns for the Giants’ side of the deal are making San Francisco look awfully sharp.
The Giants brought back two prospects: right-handed pitcher Miguel Mendez and infielder Joniel Hernandez. At the time, both looked like high-upside adds. Now, their early work in the minors is backing that up.
Mendez got one start with the San Jose Giants, working 2 and 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run, walking two and striking out one. Since then, he has made three starts for Double-A Richmond, covering nine innings with four earned runs allowed, 12 strikeouts and three walks.
The strikeout ability is the part that jumps out. Mendez has electric stuff, and the numbers keep pointing in the same direction.
He had 118 strikeouts in 95 innings last season, and in 2026 he has 53 strikeouts in 48 innings. It would not be a surprise to see him in a Giants uniform at some point next season.
Hernandez may be the more intriguing name of the two. He’s only 17 and is playing in the Dominican Summer League, so there’s plenty of reason to slow the hype train. Even so, he has hit .343/.439/.629 with three home runs and eight runs batted in since joining the Giants.
It is always risky to get too carried away with teenage shortstops, but San Francisco now has four of them in Joniel Hernandez, Josuar Gonzalez, Luis Hernandez, and Jhonny Level. If even one of that group turns into a steady big league contributor, the Giants will be in good shape.
Of course, the Giants would have preferred to be in the Padres’ position, making a move to push for the postseason. But if San Diego only sneaks into the playoffs and goes out early while San Francisco winds up with the better end of the trade, the Giants will have every reason to feel like they came out on top.
In Other News...
Giants Have Two Prospects Surging At Exactly The Right Time
The Giants are getting timely traction from two prospects whose progress matters for the depth chart as much as it does for the farm system buzz. Keyner Martinez, a right-handed pitcher with the San Jose Giants, has been trending up with a strong recent stretch that includes a 0.57 ERA over his last three starts, a nice sign for a young arm trying to turn flashes into something more dependable.
Diego Velasquez has also answered an important test after moving up to Triple-A Sacramento. He has handled the jump well, batting .300 with a .400 on-base percentage in 107 plate appearances, and his steady production only strengthens his case as one of the more intriguing names in the organization. For a team always looking to line up the next wave, both players are surging at the right moment. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Vitello Opens Up About How The Giants Lost Belief Early
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Vitello also spoke candidly about the jump from college coaching to managing in the pros, a transition that has asked him to adjust in real time while the Giants have tried to steady themselves. Even with the frustration of the seasons early stretch still hanging over things, he sounded determined to treat the experience as part of the learning curve, hoping it leaves him better prepared for whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Be Reliving An Expensive Matt Chapman Problem
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The uncomfortable part is how familiar this all looks in San Francisco. The Giants have been down this road before with Evan Longoria, whose own later years in orange and black were shaped by injuries and diminishing production as the wear of age caught up with him. Chapman is not Longoria, and the comparison is not perfect, but the pattern is hard to miss for a club that once hoped it was buying reliability. Now the question hanging over the Giants is whether this is a temporary setback or the start of another expensive decline they have to manage. [Read more 🡒]