The San Diego Padres may be staring at a winter of major change, and Adrian Morejon could be one of the biggest names caught in the middle of it.
Starting pitching sits at the top of the Padres’ to-do list, with Michael King standing as their best and most important free agent. But Morejon is right there behind him as another major decision for the front office, and the cost to keep him may be climbing fast.
Morejon has spent eight years in the Padres organization and has grown into a key piece of the bullpen over the last few seasons. The 27-year-old left-hander was an All-Star in 2025, but his 2026 numbers may have been even better. He put together a 2.83 ERA with 107 strikeouts across 86 innings and 76 appearances, cementing himself as one of the league’s top relievers.
That kind of production is going to draw serious money on the open market. Morejon is now a free agent, and ESPN MLB insider Kiley McDaniel projected a deal that could get close to $100 million in total value, with a comparison to Edwin Diaz’s contract from last winter.
“There is something to pitching in the ninth inning, but how much will the engaged bidders for Morejon reduce their offers due to that lack of ninth-inning experience?” McDaniel wrote. “I would not be shocked if Morejon got five years and beat Diaz’s number.”
The Padres are expected to make a push to keep him, but the math is complicated. San Diego is trying to rebuild its rotation while also figuring out how much it can spend to retain a reliever who has become a centerpiece of the bullpen.
Morejon has made it clear he likes being in San Diego. The Cuban native has called it his “second home.”
Still, there’s a deadline hanging over all of this. Morejon has until Nov. 17 to decide whether to accept the one-year qualifying offer. If he turns it down, the Padres could find themselves in a crowded bidding war.
Several big-market clubs could be involved, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, along with other contenders.
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