If the Royals are serious about fixing their bullpen for 2027, Adrian Morejon has to be near the top of the shopping list.
Kansas City’s relief group was a mess in 2026. Outside of Daniel Lynch IV before he moved back into the rotation, nobody really separated himself, and the unit ended up as one of the worst in the league. That kind of season leaves the Royals staring at a clear offseason priority: overhaul the bullpen, and free agency gives them a real way to attack it.
The headliner in that market is Morejon, the Padres’ setup man, who just turned in another big year in San Diego. Over the last two seasons, he has piled up 5.1 fWAR, making him one of the most valuable relievers in baseball over that stretch. In 2026 alone, he posted a 2.83 ERA, produced 2.8 fWAR, and logged a career-high 86.0 innings.
For Kansas City, the appeal goes beyond the numbers. The Royals have not had a truly dominant late-inning arm in a while.
Some people would point to Carlos Estevez in 2025, when he led the league in saves. Others might reach back to Wade Davis, who put together arguably the two best reliever seasons in franchise memory.
But the larger point is hard to ignore: this bullpen hasn’t had someone who could consistently walk into pressure spots and slam the door.
Morejon does exactly that. In 2026, his wPA was 3.23, and his player leverage index sat at 1.69.
He also checks every box the Royals have been missing. He misses bats, keeps the ball on the ground, and limits walks while doing it at a high level.
The production backs it up. Morejon struck out hitters at a 30.4% clip, induced grounders at a 58.0% rate, and held walks to 8.0%.
The last Royals reliever to hit those marks with at least 30 innings was Kris Bubic in 2024, and he only barely qualified at 30.1 innings. Morejon did it across an 86-inning workload.
His stuff is the real separator. According to Stuff+, Morejon owns the second-best mark at 129, and he has four pitches graded at 127 or better.
For comparison, the Royals’ best reliever in Stuff+ is Steven Cruz at 109, with much of that value coming from a slider rated at 126 Stuff+. That is not a shot at Cruz, but it does underline how badly Kansas City could use another arm with truly overpowering weapons.
That kind of profile is exactly what a high-leverage bullpen needs. Morejon can get outs in different ways, in different counts, against different types of hitters. He brings the kind of consistency and versatility the Royals have lacked, and he would immediately change the look of the group.
The problem is getting him.
After a disappointing 2026, the Royals have to decide how aggressive they want to be in trying to bounce back in 2027. A run at Morejon, or at another top reliever, will say a lot about their willingness to spend. There is also likely to be a bidding war, because he is only 27 and one of the best relief arms on the market.
The price could get steep in a hurry. Some projections have him approaching the $100 million range. Others see something closer to Tanner Scott’s four-year, $72 million deal with the Dodgers, but Morejon’s age could push the number higher.
There is also the closer question. The Royals need one, and Morejon has not filled that role much with the Padres because Robert Suarez and Mason Miler have handled those opportunities over the last three seasons. That could matter for Kansas City, since locking down the ninth inning is part of the bullpen fix they badly need.
Still, the bigger picture is obvious. The Royals need better stuff, better results in leverage, and more certainty in the late innings.
Morejon brings all of that. If Kansas City is going to take a real swing in free agency, a 27-year-old fireballer who has dominated out of the bullpen is exactly the kind of target worth chasing.
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