The Padres passed on a Yankees offer that would have sent left-hander Adrian Morejon to New York in exchange for right-hander Will Warren, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The report says it’s not clear whether any other players were part of the proposal.
That’s a notable swing-and-miss for the Yankees, who were already known to have interest in Morejon. He’s one of the more appealing relievers expected to be available before Monday’s trade deadline, and the numbers explain why.
Since his 2024 breakout, the former starter has logged a 2.62 ERA over 196 innings, which ranks third among relievers in that span. This season, he’s been even more electric with his stuff, averaging 99.5 mph on his sinker and 99.3 mph on his fastball while posting a 3.07 ERA.
His strikeout and walk rates - 27.8% and 6.2% - are excellent, and his 61.5% grounder rate is a personal best that ranks fourth among qualifying relievers.
Morejon is part of a loaded San Diego bullpen that also features Mason Miller, widely regarded as the game’s best closer. Miller has surfaced in trade talk as well, though Padres president of baseball operations A.J.
Preller is said to be leaning toward keeping him unless someone makes a massive offer. Even with the Padres currently outside a playoff spot, they’ve surged back into the race.
After winning eight of nine, they’re 58-54 and just one game out in the Wild Card chase.
The decision to hold onto Morejon comes with a wrinkle, though: unlike Miller, who isn’t eligible for free agency until 2030, Morejon is scheduled to hit the open market after the season. That’s what made Warren such an interesting target for San Diego.
He’s controllable, not arbitration-eligible until 2028, and would have come with $826K salaries in the meantime. For a Padres rotation that is thin on traditional starters beyond Michael King, Walker Buehler and German Marquez, Warren would have fit right in.
San Diego has been leaning heavily on its bullpen because of the injuries piling up in the rotation. Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Lucas Giolito are all on the injured list, though Pivetta and Giolito are expected to begin rehab assignments sometime during the upcoming week, with optimism that both could be back this month.
Warren’s profile gives a clearer picture of why the Yankees were willing to discuss him. Since he became a regular in the rotation in 2025, he has thrown 271 innings with a 4.32 ERA across 54 starts.
This year, he owns a 4.14 ERA in 108 2/3 innings. He had a 3.22 ERA entering June, but things have gotten rougher since then as he’s had trouble working deep into games and limiting damage.
Still, Warren just turned in one of his best outings of the year, blanking the Cubs over 6 2/3 innings in Friday’s win. He allowed four hits, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.
That outing pushed his strikeout rate to 23.0% and his walk rate to 7.6%. He’s also getting ground balls at a 43.1% clip.
His xERA sits at 4.44, but the other indicators paint a more favorable picture: xFIP at 3.77, SIERA at 3.94 and FIP at 3.96. Together, those numbers suggest he’s pitched better than a low-4.00s ERA would indicate.
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