The Tigers broke up the band.
And they stocked the farm system.
Casey Mize was the latest Tigers free agent-to-be starting pitcher shipped out of town Monday when he was dealt to the San Diego Padres just before the trade deadline. The move comes two days after the Tigers traded ace Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The two traded netted the Tigers five players (four so-called prospects), including two pitchers from the Padres.
Here’s a look at those two pitchers.
Kash Mayfield
Age: 21
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Drafted: First round, 2024, Padres
His story: He was the No. 2 prospect in the Padres’ farm system, according to MLB Pipeline. That said, it was a pretty lean system, gutted by some blockbuster trades in recent years. Mayfield has been exclusively a starter in his pro career, and this year at High-A Fort Wayne, he’s 3-1 with a 3.54 ERA in 15 starts. He’s struck out 62 in 53.1 innings, with 22 walks.
According to scouting reports for MLB.com, his fastball isn’t electric (low 90s), but he’s got an elite change-up and a slider that scouts hope will be a weapon against left-handed hitters. Notably, he also doesn’t have much tread on the arm, given he passed on summer ball late in high school to help keep his arm healthy. Be patient here. He was in high school two years ago. He’s not close to the majors. He’s off to High-A West Michigan.
Jackson Wolf
Age: 27
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Drafted: Fourth round, 2021, Padres
His story: He’s far removed from prospect status, having been drafted five years ago out of West Virginia. He’s already made his major-league debut with a one-game cameo with the Padres in 2023. In that game, he started and beat the Tigers with five OK innings. He then was traded to the Pirates in 2023, and back to the Padres in 2024. At Triple A this season, he’s pitched in 24 games (17 starts) with 90 strikeouts in 89.1 innings. He has a 7.05 ERA and has allowed 16 homers. In 142 minor-league games, he has a 5.24 ERA.
The last few years up, he’s bounced between Triple A (where he’s been bad) and Double A (where he’s been decent). Nobody’s saying he’s a centerpiece of this deal. He is minor-league depth. He’s going to Triple-A Toledo. He’s a no-risk project.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers add two prospects in Mize deal with Padres
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tony Paul, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
