The Seattle Mariners don’t need much imagination to see the appeal of Adrian Morejon. After the bullpen unraveled across 2026 and settled into a second-half 5.69 ERA, a left-handed arm like his looks a lot less like luxury and a lot more like rescue.
Morejon is about to hit free agency after three years with the San Diego Padres that produced a 161 ERA+, a 1.088 WHIP and a 2.46 FIP. At 27, he’s going to have company on the market. The only question is how high that market climbs, and the early projections already point in very different directions.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter has Morejon landing a five-year, $90 million deal. Jim Bowden of The Athletic is far more restrained, pegging him at three years and $42 million. That gap tells you everything about how unsettled the market still is.
The shorter number isn’t crazy. It may be too cautious, but it’s not off the wall.
Tanner Scott’s four-year, $72 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers is the cleanest recent comparison, and even that contract has had mixed results so far. That kind of inconsistency could make teams hesitate before diving into another big relief-pitching investment.
For the Mariners, the lower-end version is the one that makes sense. At three years and $14 million per season, Morejon suddenly becomes a very easy fit.
There is risk there, sure, but after 2026, the upside is obvious. He’d give Seattle a stabilizing presence in the bullpen, a partner in crime and insurance behind Andrés Muñoz, and a lefty who misses bats better than Gabe Speier and Jose A.
Ferrer. And $14 million a year wouldn’t even crack half of what the Mariners likely have earmarked for new salaries this winter.
Adrian Morejón, Elevated 101mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/CBXcxBZj7s
- Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 7, 2026
But there’s another path here, and it’s the one that could push Morejon out of Seattle’s range entirely. Josh Hader’s five-year, $95 million contract exists, and it has worked out well for the Houston Astros.
That alone gives the more aggressive projection some real weight. If Morejon gets anywhere near that neighborhood - and $90 million is basically what the Mariners are paying Josh Naylor - then Seattle is probably out before the bidding really starts.
And if that’s not enough to complicate the picture, Morejon may be undervalued even as a reliever. FanGraphs’ Pitching+ model rated him as the best relief pitcher of 2026, ahead of Mason Miller, Jhoan Duran and Louis Varland. That’s a serious statement about his talent.
There’s also the possibility that a team won’t buy him just as a reliever at all. If a club wants to maximize the investment, Morejon could be viewed as a starter.
Converting relievers has become a real trend, with Reynaldo López and Clay Holmes among the success stories. Jarrett Seidler of Baseball Prospectus sees Morejon as a candidate for that kind of move, and the case is easy to understand: he has four pitches, he throws strikes, and at 224 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame, he looks sturdy enough to handle more work.
So the Mariners’ best-case scenario is clear enough. If the market softens, they can make a run.
If it doesn’t, Morejon likely prices himself into another lane. There may be a few rumors tying him to Seattle along the way, but unless the market turns cold, don’t expect a reunion.
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