Francis Peña’s fall resurgence gives Padres a forgotten option for their 2027 bullpen

It's not nearly as dire as their needs in the rotation, but the San Diego Padres stand to face a little bullpen crisis this offseason. Of course, Adrian Morejon is about to become a free agent, likely taking the game's best set-up man away from Craig Stammen as he pursues closer money elsewhere. But he's not the only one who might leave; Jason Adam is also set to hit the open market, while Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, and Kyle Hart all have options for 2027.

Obviously, the primary concern there is the left-handed contingent in the bullpen, as the quartet of Morejon, Matsui, Peralta, and Hart was a key part in the Friars' dominant relief corps this year. Losing any of them, let alone all four pitchers, would be a crushing blow, as would a potential departure from Adam.

Thus, in some way or form, the Padres have to address their bullpen depth this offseason. Thankfully, one of the best answers might already be in the organization.

Francis Peña has put himself back on Padres' radar by making mincemeat of AFL competition

If you've followed this team for at least a few years, odds are you're pretty familiar with the story of Francis Peña. Once one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, he struggled badly upon reaching Triple-A, recording a 5.03 ERA in 68 innings at the level between 2024-25. By the time Opening Day came around this year, he was demoted back to Double-A and basically fell off the major-league radar.

However, Peña took care of business against the lower level of competition, authoring a 3.05 ERA (4.04 FIP) and 27.1 strikeout rate with the San Antonio Missions. That earned him a trip to the Arizona Fall League -- his second one, having also appeared in the AFL in 2023 -- and a chance to re-climb some prospect rankings.

The good news is he's responded really well to the challenge. After falling short of expectations three years ago (7.36 ERA in six appearances), he's now dominating the AFL to the tune of six straight scoreless outings. He's also racked up eight strikeouts compared to two walks, showing some important gains in the control department after years of being haunted by free passes.

Barring a collapse in the final few weeks of the fall season, he should be named a Fall Star with a chance to pitch against the best hitters the league has to offer. That would go a long way toward proving how ready he is for the jump back to Triple-A.

It goes without saying that he'll need to prove himself at that level first before the Padres can give him a chance in the big leagues. Still, this version of Peña can become the kind of relief weapon that makes it easier to stomach the free-agent losses the Friars will have to withstand this offseason.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow