Padres add pair of righty prospects to 40-man in Mendez, Hawkins

SAN DIEGO -- In need of pitching anywhere they can find it, the Padres made sure on Tuesday that two of their most promising young arms would not be left exposed to next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

San Diego added right-handers Miguel Mendez and Garrett Hawkins to its 40-man roster ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to protect eligible prospects from the Rule 5 Draft.

Mendez, the Padres’ No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was one of the organization’s fastest risers this year. He excelled at three levels, posting a 3.22 ERA across 21 starts.

Hawkins, the team’s No. 19 prospect, made a seamless transition to the bullpen this year after missing the 2024 season because of Tommy John surgery. He recorded a 1.50 ERA in 45 appearances between High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio.

Both are candidates to contribute for the Padres next season, though they’ll almost certainly begin the year in the Minors.

If Mendez continues his upward trajectory, he could provide some rotation depth for an organization in dire need of it. On Tuesday, both Dylan Cease and Michael King declined their qualifying offers, as expected. Meanwhile, Yu Darvish is set to miss the 2026 season after undergoing right elbow surgery on Oct. 29.

As such, it was always likely that the Padres would protect Mendez. Hawkins was a more interesting case. He struck out 80 hitters across 60 innings this season and his strong performance made him a candidate to be plucked by another club. On Tuesday, the Padres ensured that wouldn’t happen.

The Rule 5 Draft takes place at next month’s Winter Meetings on Dec. 10. Any player who is selected must remain on the big league roster for the entire season or be offered back to his former club. (In 2024, the Padres selected Stephen Kolek from Seattle and carried him for the entire season, ensuring he would remain with the organization, before he was eventually dealt to Kansas City in the Freddy Fermin trade.)

Despite the additions of Mendez and Hawkins, San Diego still left a handful of its Top 30 prospects exposed to the Rule 5 Draft: left-hander Jagger Haynes (No. 10), right-hander Francis Pena (No. 20), infielder Romeo Sanabria (No. 21), right-hander Isaiah Lowe (No. 27) and right-hander Victor Lizarraga (No. 28).

The Padres’ 40-man roster stands at 36 players, with a few glaring needs -- the largest of which is in the rotation.