Padres risk losing Adrián Morejón and two key lefties in offseason exodus

The Padres built their bullpen with enough depth to even make five-inning starts feel perfectly acceptable. This offseason, A.J. Preller could watch the left-handed side of that operation scatter in several different directions.

Adrián Morejón is headed for free agency. Yuki Matsui can opt out of the final two years and $13.5 million on his contract. Wandy Peralta must decide whether to exercise his $4.45 million player option for 2027.

Kyle Hart belongs somewhere in the conversation, too, although we can probably fill out that line easily. The Padres hold a $2.5 million club option on a 34-year-old swingman who posted a 5.30 ERA over his two seasons in San Diego and no longer has a minor-league option remaining. Paying the $200,000 buyout on Hart looks like the easy call. However, the other three decisions could really change the bullpen.

Keeping Morejón must be the Padres’ priority

Morejón is the one piece Preller cannot casually replace. He earned an All-Star selection, handled a career-high 86 innings in relief and finished the regular season with a 2.83 ERA. More importantly, he gave the Padres a left-handed leverage weapon capable of closing out a game if Mason Miller was unavailable.

He’s going to get paid. Whether it’s by the Padres or somewhere else entirely. 

Free-agent relievers are volatile by nature, and long-term contracts for them can age poorly. Morejón still deserves an aggressive offer because San Diego already knows his role and how his arsenal plays inside this bullpen.

Matsui’s decision could leave San Diego uncomfortable

After an uneven introduction, Matsui delivered a 1.83 ERA across 64 innings in 2026. His splitter and slider can make hitters look lost at the plate, but a walk rate near 14 percent keeps every appearance unpredictable.

Matsui might find a comparable deal in free agency. He also might decide that two guaranteed years in a familiar organization are worth keeping. The Padres should hope he stays.

Wandy Peralta has become useful depth, not a necessity

Peralta’s 77 1/3 innings helped the Padres survive another season of heavy bullpen use. His 3.61 ERA was perfectly respectable.

The underlying profile was less comforting. Peralta struck out only 15 percent of the batters he faced, and the Padres only temporarily added him to their playoff roster when Miller was placed on the paternity list. When October arrived and every inning carried consequences, they decided they had better options.

Peralta has passed on an opt-out in each of the last two offseasons. With $4.45 million waiting for him in 2027, staying again appears to be the likeliest outcome.

The Padres can live with that price for a durable middle reliever. Preller doesn’t need to preserve the entire left-handed group. Hart’s option should be declined, Matsui’s choice largely belongs to Matsui, and Peralta can return at a reasonable salary.

Morejón is the decision that demands action. If the Padres let him walk while congratulating themselves for keeping cheaper left-handed depth, they will have saved money and hollowed out one of the roster’s defining strengths.

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