The San Diego Padres have a busy winter ahead, and Adrian Morejon is already one of the biggest names hanging over it.
After a strong All-Star season and a postseason that raised more questions than answers, the left-hander made it clear he wants to stay in San Diego. When asked about a return, Morejon didn’t dodge the issue.
“Everybody knows that,” Morejon said when asked about a return. “My agent knows that. It’s not really in my hands right now.”
That answer lands at a moment when the Padres are staring at a potentially long offseason, especially with the looming lockout making it possible that the wait drags on even more than usual. San Diego’s season ended with a four-game loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, and Morejon’s usage became one of the strangest parts of the series.
He worked two innings and took the loss in Game 1, then never appeared again. That absence led to questions about whether he had been dealing with an injury.
What isn’t in question is how valuable he was when he took the mound. Morejon signed a one-year deal this offseason and pitched like a premium late-inning arm for a stacked Padres bullpen.
He went 9-3 with a 2.83 ERA in 76 games this season, following up a 2025 All-Star year in which he posted a 13-6 record and a 2.08 ERA. In 2024, he went 3-2 with a 2.83 ERA.
This year, Morejon served as the setup man to Mason Miller and thrived in that role over and over again. He may not be a closer, but he’s still in the lane of relievers who can cash in on a major payday.
Spotrac’s numbers point to the kind of market he could be looking at. Los Angeles Dodgers setup man Tanner Scott earned $17 million in 2026, though Scott also spent time as a closer while Edwin Diaz was sidelined. Robert Suarez is another useful comp: after serving as the Padres’ closer before Mason Miller arrived, he signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Atlanta Braves and moved into a setup role.
The feeling around a reunion appears strong. Robert Murray of FanSided said the interest is “mutual” between Morejon and San Diego, and Fernando Tatis Jr. also made his preference known during the locker room celebration, telling AJ Preller that he hopes Morejon gets a new contract.
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