Giants to Trade Pitcher Robbie Ray to Padres in Latest Deadline Deal

When the San Francisco Giants acquired Robbie Ray from the Seattle Mariners before the 2024 season, they hoped he would be part of a franchise renaissance.

Two years later, he's just a trade piece.

The Giants dealt the former American League Cy Young award winner, and their best left-handed pitcher, to the San Diego Padres on Monday, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Giants are getting two prospects in return — right-hander Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez. The two teams will also split what is left of Ray's salary.

It was the end of a short, but fruitful partnership between Ray and the giants. Ray was one of several players on expiring contracts and was put on the market after it was clear San Francisco had no reasonable pathway to the playoffs. He bolstered his trade value over his last seven games pitching some of his best baseball as a Giants. Ray was worth more to the Giants in trade and what they received in return.

Robbie Ray is Traded

San Francisco Giants pitcher Robbie Ray watches a game from the dugout. — San Francisco Giants pitcher Robbie Ray. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ray has been one of the baseball’s better left-handers the past several seasons, with his best season coming in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays as he won the AL Cy Young. That came at the perfect time as he was a free agent after the season and signed a five-year deal with the Seattle Mariners.

At the start of the 2023 season, he suffered an elbow injury that would lead to Tommy John surgery, casing him to miss the rest of the season. That offseason, the Giants made the move to trade for Ray, even though they knew he would need at least half of the 2024 season to complete his rehab. They also took on the remainder of his contract.

He returned in the second half of 2024 and since then he's made every turn in the rotation and avoided injury. That durability, combined with his performance near the deadline, is what led multiple teams to be interested in him.

In his last seven starts he’s 5-0 with a 1.26 ERA, including 33 strikeouts and 19 walks in 43 innings. Go back to his last 15 starts and he’s 8-2 with a 3.14 ERA. The season numbers are 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA. You don’t need advanced analytics to know he’s rolling.

San Francisco went into the season with high hopes that it would end a playoff drought that goes back to 2021 when the Giants won the National League West. Offseason acquisitions included second baseman Luis Arraez and starting pitcher Tyler Mahle. It was San Francisco’s way of bolstering a roster that included pitcher Logan Webb, first baseman Rafael Devers, shortstop Willy Adames and third baseman Matt Chapman.

The hiring of new manager Tony Vitello looks like a wash in his first season of pro baseball. Now president of baseball operations Buster Posey has no choice but to gear up for next season. That 2027 season won’t include Ray.

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