Adrian Morejon’s late-season health scare is already shaping the way teams may view him in free agency, and one former general manager says it would make him pause before getting involved.
When Morejon was unavailable for the San Diego Padres in a key late-game spot during a National League Division Series game against the Milwaukee Brewers, manager Craig Stammen said the left-hander was dealing with “stickiness” in his left shoulder. An MRI on that shoulder is expected to be part of the next step, but the bigger issue is what that October absence means for his market.
Former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden did not hide how seriously he would take the injury risk. Speaking on Foul Territory on Tuesday, Bowden said the pitcher’s track record would “petrify” him as an executive considering a deal.
“You know it's high risk,” Bowden said. “The way they get used, it's already an injury risk.”
Morejon spent the regular season as Stammen’s most-used reliever, making 76 appearances and throwing 86 innings out of the bullpen. He also delivered plenty in return, finishing 9-3 with a 2.83 ERA, 107 strikeouts and a 1.081 WHIP.
Only three pitchers made more relief appearances this season, and only two logged more innings out of the bullpen.
Still, the reliever market has a way of turning on a dime. A pitcher can look durable and dependable one year, then deal with injury or fade the next, and only a select few stay elite year after year.
If Morejon is going to command major money, his physical will need to convince teams that the “stickiness” that surfaced in October is behind him.
“Just make sure you've done an MRI on the elbow, on the shoulder before you give them the money and make sure you've got all the tests so that your medical people can tell you what the risk [is] and the risk is not at the time you sign them," Bowden said. "Not that that's perfect, because it's not, but you'll be surprised how many teams don't do their due diligence - don't check sometimes as thorough as that and sometimes the guy ends up blowing out.”
The Padres are in a different spot than everyone else. They know Morejon’s health better than any outside suitor, and that could matter whether they view him strictly as a reliever or even revisit the starter role he once showed promise in as a minor league prospect.
If San Diego decides to move on in free agency, that choice could say plenty about how the organization reads the medical risk.
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