Rival executive's Adrian Morejon free agency prediction puts Padres' reunion in danger

The San Diego Padres have the fifth-best bullpen in baseball, posting a 3.46 ERA as a unit. A big part of this success comes from setup man Adrian Morejon, who has a 2.86 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 96 strikeouts across 78 2/3 innings this season. Yeah, good thing he wasn't traded at the deadline.

Morejon, 27, will hit the open market this offseason as a free agent. The Padres would be wise to retain him in order to keep their dominant bullpen intact. But given Morejon's age and track record, it may not be possible with what's coming down the pipeline. At the very least, it'll be difficult.

Adrian Morejon could draw similar contract to former Padre Robert Suarez

One rival executive who spoke with FanSided about Morejon believes the left-hander could draw a deal in the range of four years and $60 million, which would be $15 million AAV. That's the deal former Padres closer Robert Suarez landed with the Braves this past offseason. The executive thinks Morejon could potentially get more than that as well.

That's right on par with top closer money from what we've seen over the years. Another example to compare is Devin Williams' three years, $51 million contract ($17 million per season) with the New York Mets.

Morejon and New York Yankees closer David Bednar will be the two best relief pitchers available in free agency. There will be teams that pursue both arms aggressively, and specific fits include the Yankees, Padres, Mets, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals.

One Padres move could impact Adrian Morejon's free agent market

There is a catch about signing Morejon, though. The lefty would have the projected $23.1 million qualifying offer attached to him if the Padres choose to extend it (and they very well might under this new ownership). This could kill a portion of his market because teams will be forced to surrender a compensatory draft pick to the Padres in order to sign him.

Even still, Morejon has been one of the best relievers in all of baseball for three straight seasons now and that might not be enough of a deterrent for bigger market teams with deeper pockets.

Morejon is just 8-for-19 on save chances in his career, but has posted a sub-3.00 ERA in three straight seasons. He also throws extremely hard, with his sinker averaging 99.5 mph. His other offerings include a four seamer at 99.3 mph, a 92.1 mph changeup, and a 89.4 mph slider. We know how much teams looking for back end bullpen help love velocity.

Both Morejon and closer Mason Miller form a scary duo at the back end of the Padres' bullpen. With this star tandem, plus a very deep unit, the Padres are a tough matchup for any team if they make the postseason. Count October as another marquee showcase for the left-hander if the Pads can sneak in as the third Wild Card.

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