The Padres left Sunday with a win, another arm added to the mix, and more deadline chatter swirling around AJ Preller.
San Diego edged the Giants, 5-4, to move to 58-54, and the game itself had a little bit of everything. Kyle Hart opened the bullpen day by striking out a pair across three scoreless innings.
JP Sears gave up two earned runs in his lone inning, while Grifin Canning picked up the win after allowing one earned run over two innings. Jeremiah Estrada worked a clean frame, Bradgley Rodriguez was tagged for an earned run while getting just two outs, and Adrian Morejon finished it off with a four-out save, his second of the season, striking out three.
The offense did enough early to back it up. Ty France and Jackson Merrill each finished with multiple hits, and Merrill’s first knock was the loud one - a 422-foot two-run homer. Jake Cronenworth only had one hit, but it mattered: an infield single that drove in two runs and capped a four-run second inning.
Before the win was in the books, the Padres also added a pitcher with big-league experience for both the Angels and Phillies. The 27-year-old right-hander from Dana Point, CA posted a 2.84 ERA in 25 appearances out of the Angels’ bullpen in 2024.
And the deadline noise isn’t slowing down.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Padres turned down a Yankees offer that would have sent Morejon to New York for right-handed pitcher Will Warren. That comes as San Diego continues to be tied to bigger names, including Rafael Devers. The Padres have been linked to the superstar as they look for more offense, and one key MLB insider said a deal was at least considered by Preller.
With the deadline closing in, Craig Stammen made it clear what he expects from his boss over the next day: “I expect him to not sleep, and I expect him to be on the phone a lot.”
The Padres have won 8 of their last 9 games, sit one game back of a wild-card spot, and now the focus shifts to what Preller does next.
In Other News...
Padres Deadline Rumors Hint At One Real Need And One Huge Swing
The Padres deadline search is already starting to look like a two-track operation, with A.J. Preller reportedly weighing both a rotation upgrade and a much bigger offensive swing. Joel Shermans reporting linked San Diego to Mets right-hander Kodai Senga, a name that makes sense if the club decides the pitching market is where it can do the most practical business, especially with New York in a sellers position.
There is also a far more ambitious idea in the mix, one that would take a lot more maneuvering to pull off. Sherman reported Preller has at least considered Rafael Devers as a target, but the combination of Devers contract and the awkwardness of dealing with a division rival makes that path look far less straightforward than the pitching pursuit, which is why the deadline could end up revealing whether the Padres want a fix or a headline. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Bullpen Plans
With the playoff chase tightening and injuries forcing the rotation to lean on the relief corps, the Padres are making it clear they are not looking to weaken the bullpen for help elsewhere. Adrian Morejon has become an important part of that group, and San Diegos decision to hold onto him says plenty about how it views its late-season formula.
The Yankees reportedly had interest in prying Morejon away in a deal for Will Warren, a controllable starter, but the Padres passed. For a club trying to stay in position for October, that kind of move would have tested whether immediate bullpen stability matters more than longer-term rotation depth, and San Diego has chosen the former for now. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face A Trade Deadline Call On One Bullpen Arm
The Padres already had one of the busier buzz cycles around the bullpen market, and Adrian Morejon has become a name worth watching as the trade deadline approaches. San Diego and the Yankees reportedly explored a deal that would have brought right-hander Will Warren to the Padres, a reflection of how clubs are weighing pitching depth against bigger roster needs as the deadline clock keeps ticking.
Nothing has been finalized, and the two sides are still free to keep talking before the deadline. Even so, the fact that Morejon is at the center of the discussion adds a layer of intrigue for San Diego, where every bullpen decision feels tied to the bigger question of how aggressive the front office wants to be in reshaping the roster for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]