The Dodgers made a front-office move on Monday that could wind up mattering well beyond the executive suite.
Bob Nightengale reported that Los Angeles hired San Diego Padres Chief Operating Officer Caroline Perry to become the Dodgers’ executive vice president and COO under Stan Kasten. She is taking over for longtime COO Bob Wolfe, who is retiring.
It’s the kind of hire that can sting a rival in a way fans immediately understand. Players moving between the Dodgers and Padres always gets attention, but Perry’s departure lands differently because of how much influence she had in San Diego. She spent 16 years with the Padres and was the highest-ranking female employee in franchise history.
If this is the start of a Padres-to-Dodgers pipeline, that’s a problem for San Diego.
And there’s already a baseball angle to it. Having Perry in the Dodgers’ front office could help Los Angeles if it decides to chase Padres free agents this winter. Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors already projected the Dodgers could land longtime Padres reliever Adrian Morejon on a five-year, $80 million deal.
That would be a notable swing for a Dodgers bullpen that lost several relievers to free agency, including Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen. Los Angeles could try to bring one or both back, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if the club looks for an upgrade elsewhere.
By MLBTR’s ranking, Morejon is the top reliever on the market. The Padres extended him a qualifying offer worth one year and $23.15 million, but at 27 and in a weak market, he may choose to test free agency before the December 1 lockout. There should be plenty of interest.
A five-year, $80 million deal - a $16 million average annual value - would still come in below the price tags for Tanner Scott or Edwin Díaz, and Morejon’s 2026 season stacks up well against both of them. He posted a 2.83 ERA in 86 innings and established himself as a real bullpen workhorse.
Morejon has spent his entire professional career with San Diego, so the Padres would seem to have a real shot at keeping him, whether through the qualifying offer or by getting first crack at him in free agency. But Perry’s move had to shake things up a little in the front office, and now she’s in Dodgers territory. That alone makes the idea of Morejon following her a little easier to imagine.
In Other News...
Kenley Jansens Next Team Could Put Him On The Verge Of History
Kenley Jansens next move is suddenly one of the more interesting bullpen stories of the offseason. After the Tigers declined their $12 million option for the 2027 season and settled on the $2 million buyout, the veteran closer is back on the market after spending 2026 in Detroit, where he continued to add to a career that has already put him among the most accomplished relievers of his era.
Now sitting at 498 career saves, Jansen is within striking distance of a milestone few pitchers ever reach. The hunt for his next team is about more than just another late-inning role, since wherever he lands will likely be the place where he tries to push himself into the 500-save club and further cement his place in history. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers May Have A Real Bullpen Problem With Alex Vesia
The Dodgers are heading into an offseason with plenty of bullpen questions, and Alex Vesia sits near the center of them. With four relief pitchers set to hit free agency, Los Angeles has work to do in the late innings, and Vesia stands out as one of the more important names in that group because of what he has meant to the club from the left side.
ESPNs Kiley McDaniel sees the market treating Vesia like a real prize, projecting a two-year, $25 million deal in free agency based on his recent performance and pitching traits. For a Dodgers team that has leaned on bullpen depth and versatility, that kind of value makes his future worth watching closely, especially with so many moving parts already on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers May Have A Cheaper Pitching Answer They Can't Wait On
The Dodgers have another pitching option on the board in Hiromi Itoh, the Japanese right-hander who has been posted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and is now available as an international free agent. Itoh brings NPB experience and a 2023 World Baseball Classic rsum, and he has already emerged as a name of interest for a club that is always weighing ways to add depth without overcommitting at the top of the market.
What makes the situation tricky is the timing. Itoh is seen as a possible long reliever or back-end starter, with projections pointing to a two-year deal worth $18 million, but the Dodgers cannot sit on the idea for long because the posting process and MLB lockout-related rules leave only a narrow window to get something done. For a team that values pitching depth as much as Los Angeles does, the appeal is obvious, even if the clock is working against them. [Read more 🡒]