Padres Pitcher Was Glad to Be Traded at Deadline

After looking dead in the water for a large portion of the season, the San Diego Padres were able to completely transform their year following the trade deadline.

Many of the problems for San Diego came from the lack of a consistent starting rotation and an offense that was inconsistent at best. But since the All-Star Break, the Padres have seen a bounce-back performance from both.

The starting rotation was given a major boost with the acquisitions of Casey Mize and Robbie Ray. Adding these two arms provided the Padres with some needed depth, and they have both performed well so far with the team.

Both Mize and Ray came over from teams that weren't exactly in the playoff hunt. But coming over from the Detroit Tigers, Mize couldn't be happier to now be with the Padres.

“One organization decided to go for it and the other one didn’t,” Mize said. “Each organization has to make decisions based on what they view is best. And I’m not knocking either one, but I’m happy to be on a team that is pushing for it.

“It’s a lot more fun to play in meaningful games, and we have a real opportunity to do that.”

Since being traded, Mize has recorded a 7.00 ERA over four starts, with the numbers elevated due to a poor performance in his debut. But taking that game out of the picture, Mize has pitched well with the Padres.

The right-hander did leave his recent start early with an ankle injury, but he's healthy now. Mize is slated to open the team's series against the Tampa Bay Rays, giving him the challenge of facing the top team in the American League.

Mize is expected to be a big part of the Padres push to the playoffs down the stretch.

Can the Padres Make the Playoffs?

The Padres are currently holding onto the final wild-card spot in the National League, sitting 1.5 games up on the Arizona Diamondbacks.

But given how the Padres have played over the last few weeks, they should be able to get into the postseason picture, barring any setbacks. This team has started to click on both sides of the ball, which could bode well for them down the stretch.

Of course, the job isn't finished, and there is still over a month left in the regular season to earn a spot. However, the Padres have a lot of energy and momentum right now heading into the stretch run of the year.

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