Adrian Morejon’s free agency should have Padres weighing 2 huge factors

Adrian Morejon spent the 2026 season primarily getting the Padres out of trouble. It’s on them to  figure out how much they can pay him to continue doing it while they try to find enough starters to stay out of said trouble in the first place.

The Padres put a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer in front of Morejon. If he takes it, we get another year of watching him do it again with Mason Miller following. If he turns it down, San Diego has two questions to answer. How much of the rotation budget can it afford to spend on a reliever? And is the job it has for Morejon the one he wants?

The Padres have to pay for the innings before Morejon, too

Morejon gave the Padres a career high 86 innings across 76 appearances in 2026. He struck out 107 batters and posted a 2.83 ERA. The year before, he inherited 45 runners and let only five score, the lowest rate in the NL. The Friars have every reason to make a serious offer to him. Otherwise, they’d be stuck trying to replace both his workload and their most trustworthy left-handed option in the bullpen. 

They also may need to replace Michael King and Nick Pivetta in the same offseason. King is back on the market, and bringing him back would give the Padres the ace they need near the top of their rotation. They’re also expected to meet with Tarik Skubal. In other words, they’re dealing with an expensive list of options.

$23.15 million is a clear statement of what the Padres are willing to risk for one season. A long-term guarantee is a totally different decision, especially if the bidding gets anywhere near $100 million. The front office should know which starter drops off its list if they need to offer Morejon a long-term deal. That trade-off matters even if Skubal signs somewhere else.

Mason Miller already has the job another team could offer Morejon

Morejon reportedly wants to stay in the bullpen despite interest from clubs that could see him being converted to a starter. The Padres can offer him the kind of work he already does so well, including the nastiest pockets of a lineup to work through. The question is whether he wants to be the guy who gets the last three outs.

We haven’t heard Morejon express his desire to be a closer. But picture another club putting comparable money on the table and telling him the ninth is his. That gives him real options to weigh, and the Padres would have to make their pitch with Miller firmly in place.

It’s likely that the Padres will make Morejon a serious offer if he’s happy setting up Mason Miller and ownership gives A.J. Preller enough money to land a frontline starter, too. And if keeping him means passing on a starter who can anchor the rotation, Preller should spend the money on the starter. Morejon is absolutely worth paying to protect a lead. There still needs to be a rotation to help get him there. 

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