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Padres Free Agent Adrian Morejon's Intentions for Next Season Revealed

One thing is clear about his future.

Sep 30, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Adrian Morejon (50) delivers a pitch in th seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The trajectory of Adrian Morejon's career hasn't exactly been linear.

The Cuban flamethrower came to the United States roughly a decade ago. He was billed as a phenom from the time he was a youth player. The San Diego Padres gave him $11 million to sign with the franchise.

Morejon originally was a starter — though over the last few years has established himself as one of the best relievers in the sport.

Now in free agency, teams are reportedly interested in trying to re-convert the talented left-handed pitcher into a starter. The question remains: Is Morejon interested in yet another role reversal?

In a piece co-written by Katie Woo, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, Morejon's possible future from a usage standpoint was analyzed. It may surprise some people based on the normal monetary approximations between starters and relievers.

"Free-agent left-hander Adrian Morejon is drawing interest as a starter, but his preference is to remain a reliever, according to a person briefed on his market," they wrote. "Perhaps a big offer would change his thinking, but a common theme among Clay Holmes, Seth Lugo and other relievers converted to starters in recent years was the strong desire of those pitchers to become members of a rotation."

Baseball Savant

It's not shocking to see why other ballclubs would love Morejon to join their respective rotations. In eight years with the Padres, he has accumulated a very solid 32-14 record with a terrific 3.26 ERA. Morejon has also averaged more than a strikeout per inning for his career.

This past year, Morejon ranked above the 90th percentile in virtually every statistical analytics category (per Baseball Savant). It's utterly unbelievable as to how dominant Morejon has been from the left side.

A true power pitcher, Morejon pairs a 100 mph sinker with a devastating changeup, biting slider and heavy four-seam fastball.

It remains to be seen as to whether the Padres can re-sign the talented reliever. Even if he does opt to stick as a relief pitcher, there will be no shortage of suitors.

Morejon is the exact type of player that wins in October. He's proven time and time again to be equally as devastating against righties as he has been versus lefties. It'll be interesting to see whether his price range sits where the Friars are comfortable.

If not, he could be playing for a competitor next year.

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