Trade Deadline: Ex-M’s pitcher, Portland native among big names on the move

The Padres acquired former Mariners left-hander Robbie Ray from the Giants, while the Red Sox have added Portland's Adley Rutschman to be their catcher.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Aug 3, 2026, 1:23 PM

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The San Diego Padres acquired veteran left-hander Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants on Monday in a deadline trade for two prospects.

Mariners trade rumors focused on pitchers as deadline ticks down

The Padres (58-54) have won eight of nine to move one game back of the final NL wild-card playoff position, and this latest surge in their up-and-down season prompted general manager A.J. Preller to trade yet another chunk of his severely depleted farm system for another chance to win now.

San Diego gave up right-hander Miguel Mendez and 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez for the 34-year-old Ray, a former Cy Young Award winner who will be an unrestricted free agent this winter.

The Padres, who desperately needed a veteran starter for a rotation with the majors’ fourth-highest ERA, also got cash considerations to pay part of Ray’s $25 million salary.

Ray is 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings this season, his third with San Francisco after being traded to the Giants by the Seattle Mariners. He has been largely outstanding over the past two months, posting a 1.65 ERA since the start of June while allowing one earned run or fewer in nine of his past 11 starts.

Ray is the only starting pitcher to beat the Padres in the past 10 days, throwing six innings of four-hit ball at Petco Park in the Giants’ 4-1 win last Thursday. Ray has won seven consecutive decisions.

Ray made his name and earned his first All-Star selection while pitching for Arizona from 2015-20. The Padres visit the Diamondbacks starting Monday night for a key four-game series between NL West rivals separated by one game in the wild-card standings.

Ray won his Cy Young with Toronto in 2021. He had Tommy John surgery in early 2023 while with Seattle, but he has returned to be a dependable starter for the Giants, earning another All-Star nod last season.

The Padres’ recent success has been driven by an offense that has awoken from its first-half slumber, but their starting rotation is perilously thin due to injuries.

The Padres have made the playoffs in four of the past six seasons, a first in franchise history, but have reached just one NL Championship Series.

Red Sox land Adley Rutschman

The Boston Red Sox are acquiring All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because deadline deal hadn’t been announced. The 28-year-old Rutschman, a Portland native and Oregon State product, is hitting .251 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs this season. He earned an All-Star nod for the third time but is currently on the injured list with left wrist inflammation. He’s also dealt with an ankle injury and a concussion this year.

If he can return to the field soon, Rutschman is a significant addition for a Boston team that stormed back into the postseason picture with a 15-game winning streak last month. The Red Sox needed catching help, and their offense is also dealing with injuries to Triston Casas, Trevor Story, Roman Anthony and even the recently acquired Curtis Mead.

The Orioles drafted Rutschman with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, but unlike Bobby Witt Jr., the second pick that year, he hasn’t signed a long-term contract. Rutschman can become a free agent after next season.

Trading him to an AL East rival is a bitter pill for some Baltimore fans. In many ways, he represented both the success and failure of the past few years for the Orioles. He made his debut in 2022 and the team took off, finishing with a winning record that year and then storming to a 101-win campaign in 2023.

Baltimore made the playoffs in 2024, but Rutschman slumped down the stretch and was unable to rebound in 2025, when the Orioles collapsed to a last-place finish. He’s been better this year but has played in only 67 games. Baltimore is 54-58 and entered Monday 2 1/2 games behind the final playoff spot in the American League.

Samuel Basallo, who has 16 homers this season, now becomes Baltimore’s clear No. 1 catcher. However, the 21-year-old Basallo is currently on the injured list as well.

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