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The San Diego Padres' bullpen was both a driving force behind their regular-season success and a vulnerability that contributed to their October exit. While the relief corps dominated for much of the year, it became evident during the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers that the unit was stretched too thin.
The starting rotation's inability to pitch deep into games placed a heavy burden on the bullpen. Joe Musgrove's recovery from Tommy John surgery delayed his season debut until the wild-card round, despite expectations he would be ready by Opening Day, and Nick Pivetta missed nearly five months due to elbow issues. Consequently, the starters often left early, forcing the bullpen to cover a significant number of innings.
Mason Miller garnered most of the attention with a franchise-record 34.2 scoreless innings streak and a fastball averaging 101.4 mph, but he was just one component of a relief pitching puzzle that threw the second-most innings in MLB and posted the fifth-lowest ERA during the regular season.
Among the standout relievers, 27-year-old left-hander Adrian Morejon has been one of the most effective arms on the team over the past three seasons. As he heads to free agency this winter, he must be the front office's first priority.
Why Re-Signing Morejon Is Crucial
Morejon recorded a 2.83 ERA over a career-high 86 innings in 2024. He ranks among the league's best in several advanced metrics, including chase rate (99th percentile), swing-and-miss rate (97th), ground ball generation (98th), and average fastball velocity (99th at 99.4 mph).
Morejon has been with the Padres organization since 2016 and made his MLB debut in 2019 at age 20. San Diego is the only team he has known, but he is poised for a substantial payday after earning $3.4 million last season. Despite being a middle reliever, Dennis Lin of The Athletic suggested Morejon "could attract nine-figure offers from other clubs" in free agency, with teams willing to pay him like a closer or even a potential starter.
After the NLDS, Morejon addressed the possibility that he may have thrown his final pitch as a Padre. When asked if he wants to remain in San Diego, he told reporters that "everybody knows that" before discussing the business side of baseball.
"I feel sad because I don't want to say goodbye," Morejon said. "But it's business, and let's see what happens during the offseason."
Re-signing Morejon would not only keep a core piece of one of baseball's best bullpens intact but also ensure that Padres hitters won't have to face him. The one-two punch of Morejon and Miller makes the Friars virtually unbeatable when leading after the eighth inning.
If the front office can add more efficient starting pitching, reducing the bullpen's workload in October could lead to a deeper run in 2027. However, that all starts with keeping the bullpen whole—and it wouldn't be without Morejon.