The Padres have put a big number on Adrian Morejon.
San Diego extended a qualifying offer to the left-hander, giving him a one-year deal worth $23.15 million ahead of Monday’s deadline. Morejon is one of eight players to receive that offer, joining Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners, Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs, Brandon Lowe of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Trevor Rogers of the Baltimore Orioles, David Bednar of the New York Yankees, Jake Bauers of the Milwaukee Brewers and Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins.
Morejon now has until Nov. 17 to decide whether to accept or turn it down. The usual play is to reject it and chase a longer deal, and if he walks away and signs elsewhere, the Padres would get a pick in the 2027 MLB Draft as compensation.
What makes this situation unusual is the size of the offer compared with the role Morejon has filled. A salary above $20 million lines up more with a starter or a closer, and Morejon hasn’t established himself in either of those jobs yet.
Instead, he spent the regular season as Craig Stammen’s most-used reliever, making 76 appearances and logging 86 innings out of the bullpen. He delivered a career season, finishing 9-3 with a 2.83 ERA, 107 strikeouts and a 1.081 WHIP.
Those numbers are strong, but the price tag is still striking for a setup man. The offer says plenty about how the Padres value him, even if the market might not treat him the same way.
There is also a path where Morejon takes the qualifying offer, then tries free agency again a year from now. Injury risk is part of the equation too, since his workload caught up to him in October and he was not available by the end of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
And even if he rejects the offer, that does not automatically mean he is gone. Michael King followed that route last year and still returned to the Padres.
If Morejon stays in San Diego, his path to a setup role may be the clearest one. Mason Miller is already in place as the team’s closer, which makes Morejon’s odds of finishing games better somewhere else if that is what he wants.
The Padres could also look at him as a starter, especially with more than half of their 2026 rotation headed to free agency.
Only 18 players have ever accepted a qualifying offer, though a record four did it in 2025: Brandon Woodruff, Shota Imanaga, Trent Grisham and Gleyber Torres.
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Padres Face A Tough Ramon Laureano Decision In Left Field
The Padres have a busy winter ahead, and the left-field picture is part of it. Along with decisions on Michael King, Adrian Morejon, Walker Buehler and Nick Pivetta, the club also has to sort out what to do with Ramon Laureano, who gave them a useful option in the outfield before undergoing hip surgery.
Laureano is expected to look for a one-year deal, which could make him a fit for a team trying to preserve flexibility while keeping the roster competitive. San Diego also has younger alternatives in Samad Taylor and Dustin Harris if it decides to take a different path, so the choice in left field may come down to how much certainty the Padres want versus how much room they want to leave themselves for the rest of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
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For a club that has spent plenty of time trying to stabilize its pitching staff, keeping King would go a long way toward preserving some continuity. There is at least one bit of good news on that front: left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui has opted not to exercise his out clause and will remain with the Padres for 2027, with a player option for 2028. Even so, King's situation looms as one of the more important decisions in the Padres' offseason. [Read more 🡒]
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Adrian Morejon is the one name still hanging over that plan. His contract has expired, leaving him as a free agent, and while the Padres would like to bring him back, nothing has been finalized yet. For a bullpen that has already secured several pieces, his status remains the question that could shape how complete the unit looks when 2027 arrives. [Read more 🡒]