As expected, the San Francisco Giants moved on from veteran starting pitcher Robbie Ray at the MLB Trade Deadline, trading him to the San Diego Padres.
Shortly after the trade was announced, San Francisco’s return for Ray became known.
The San Francisco Giants Acquired Two Prospects for Robbie Ray
Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reported on the Giants‘ return for Ray.
“Giants are getting right-hander Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez back in the Robbie Ray deal, per source. They’re splitting Ray’s salary the rest of the way,” Pavlovic reported.
Mendez, a 24-year-old starting pitcher, has spent most of his time in Double-A in 2026. In 11 Double-A starts, he’s posted a 4.93 ERA with a 1.442 WHIP. Mendez has been effective in missing bats, striking out 38 batters in 34.2 innings. Control, though, has been an issue, as in those 34.2 Double-A innings, Mendez has issued 17 walks.
Hernandez, meanwhile, is a 17-year-old shortstop. In 41 games in the Dominican Summer League, he slashed at .303/.424/.503 with 2 home runs. Pavlovic added that Hernandez “can really run and Giants like the bat.”
Mendez and Hernandez are ranked (per MLB) as San Diego’s No. 4 and No. 9 prospects, respectively.
Early Response To Return Was Favorable for Giants
The immediate reaction to the deal indicated that the Giants did well in return for Ray, who is going to be a free agent after the 2026 season.
“Fleece,” Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports opined.
“Good. Had to happen. Keep going,” Sean Jordan of Bleacher Report said.
“Miguel Mendez has a big arm. Sits upper 90s and can touch 101,” Giants podcaster Ben Kaspick said.
Kaspick also shared a Fangraphs article noting that while Mendez is presently a starting pitcher, he compares well to reliever Edwin Diaz, if the Giants wanted to go down that road.
From San Diego’s perspective, whether the trade was successful will be judged on how well Ray pitches down the stretch and if the team makes the playoffs. If Ray pitches well and the Padres play into October, it was a good trade. If not, it wasn’t.
For San Francisco, determining whether this was a good trade will take a little longer. That’s naturally the case when prospects are involved, particularly when one of them is 17.
That said, for Giants fans who have suffered through a bitterly disappointing 2026 season, the early reaction to this deal is reason to be upbeat.
How MLB World Feels About San Francisco Giants’ Return for Robbie Ray