Losing Adrian Morejon would leave Padres with more than one bullpen role to fill

If the Padres spend any time thinking about if they can afford to lose Adrian Morejon, they should count every out he’s gotten for them first. Sounds simple. But it’s more than likely he’s going to get expensive in a hurry. That’s what comes with a guy who can handle a tight seventh inning, come back for the eighth and keep two other relievers rested. Those assignments have value well beyond whichever bullpen title shows up next to his name..

Morejon has given the Padres a lot of flexibility. Paying to keep it should be a serious offseason priority. He finished the season with 107 strikeouts and a 2.83 ERA across 86 innings in 76 appearances. Jim Bowden projects a three-year, $42 million contract and lists the Padres among his best fits.

At $14 million annually, we’re talking about a serious commitment to a reliever. San Diego also has to fund its rotation, and money spent retaining Morejon would affect how much remains for those innings.

Morejon gives the Padres quality and volume in the same bullpen spot. We tend to discuss bullpen depth by counting available pitchers. However, a more important question is how many difficult outs those pitchers can reasonably handle.

Morejon expands that number. His 86 innings matter because replacing him would require someone else to absorb the workload along with the pressure. Sign a left-hander who works an inning at a time, and the Padres could still need another pitcher to cover the remaining outs. 

The Padres should pay for the role they would have to replace

Bowden’s projection gives this conversation a starting point. Three years and $42 million would demand confidence in Morejon’s ability to keep handling demanding work. Relievers will always carry risk, and a heavy workload deserves scrutiny before a multiyear commitment. Morejon was gassed during the playoffs. But it was understandable given his workload. Instead of leaning into what happened in the postseason, the Padres should scrutinize the alternative just as much.

What would they spend to replace his innings? Who would take the tough matchups? We should hope they’d have a plan to fill his spot before letting him walk.

They still need starting pitching. But they also need a bullpen capable of surviving the days when that starting pitching falls short. Morejon helps connect those two parts of the staff.

The Padres should make a strong effort to keep him at Bowden’s projected price. Losing him could leave them shopping for a replacement while quietly handing part of his old job to everyone else.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow