Left-hander Adrián Morejón simply wrapped up one of the best season of his main league profession, no less than to this point. He had appeared in every of the seasons from 2019 to 2023 however by no means reached 35 innings pitched in any of these. In 2024, he made 60 aid appearances, logging 63 2/3 frames. He allowed 2.83 earned runs per 9 innings in that point. His 26.1% strikeout fee, 7.7% stroll fee and 51.4% floor ball fee had been all higher than league averages. He added one other two appearances within the postseason.
Now the Padres and Morejón should resolve what’s subsequent. The southpaw got here up as a beginning pitching prospect and was extremely thought to be a minor leaguer. The Cuban lefty secured an $11MM signing bonus from the Padres in 2016, earlier than the league launched the hard-capped worldwide beginner spending system that presently exists. Baseball America thought-about him one of many high 100 prospects within the league from 2017 to 2021, with Morejón getting as excessive as #52 going into 2019.
However his trajectory slowed down since that peak of his prospect hype, largely as a consequence of accidents. In 2019, he made his main league debut however missed time as a consequence of a shoulder impingement. The 2020 season was shortened by the pandemic and there have been no minor league video games, limiting him to only 9 appearances and fewer than 20 innings that 12 months. In 2021, he required Tommy John surgical procedure after simply two begins. He was off the injured listing by June of 2022 however missed time within the second half of that 12 months as a consequence of shoulder irritation. In 2023, he hung out on the IL as a consequence of a left elbow sprain and proper knee irritation, limiting him to only 9 main league innings and fewer than 30 on the farm.
With all of these accidents, the Padres understandably stored him in a aid function this 12 months. As talked about up high, he stayed wholesome and thrived within the bullpen. Based mostly on the best way the previous few years went, the membership could be tempted to only maintain Morejón within the bullpen. With Tanner Scott set to succeed in free company, Morejón arguably tasks because the membership’s finest southpaw reliever for 2025, forward of Wandy Peralta and Yuki Matsui.
However there’s upside to contemplating the choice, with Garrett Crochet being a best-case state of affairs instance of what’s doable. Like Morejón, Crochet was a high prospect who had spent the early components of his profession both harm or pitching in aid. The White Sox stretched him out for a rotation function in 2024 with incredible outcomes, as he posted a 3.58 ERA over 146 innings. Even these numbers promote him brief, as that membership’s poor protection seemingly contributed to a .318 batting common on balls in play for Crochet this 12 months. He struck out 35.1% of batters confronted, restricted walks to a 5.5% clip and obtained grounders on 45.1% of balls in play. If it weren’t for that prime BABIP, he in all probability would have stored some extra runs off the board, which is why his 2.69 FIP and a couple of.53 SIERA had been much better than his ERA.
That’s to not say that the Padres ought to think about such a efficiency from Morejón to be doubtless, nevertheless it demonstrates the proverbial pot of gold they might chase. Crochet is now a borderline ace and he’ll doubtless be the highest commerce candidate of this offseason, with the White Sox bringing again a king’s ransom by way of younger prospects.
Morejón threw 5 completely different pitches in 2024, suggesting there’s probably nonetheless a starter’s repertoire in there, with out him counting on anybody pitch an excessive amount of. His sinker, slider and four-seamer had been all thrown between 23 and 36% of the time, whereas he additionally sprinkled in a splitter 7.6% of the time and a sweeper at a 2.6% clip. That helped him keep away from the intense splits that may usually doom a pitcher to a specialised aid function. Lefties hit .255/.303/.367 off Morejón this 12 months whereas righties had been solely barely higher at .257/.321/.405.
Resulting from Morejón spending a lot time on the IL, he has managed to accrue greater than 4 years of main league service time. That signifies that, regardless of his restricted observe file, he’s slated without spending a dime company after 2026. However the missed time has additionally prevented him from rising his incomes energy. He made $850K this 12 months, barely above the $740K league minimal. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz tasks him for a modest bump to $1.8MM in 2025. He’d be capable of safe yet one more arbitration increase for 2026 earlier than hitting the open market.
That worth level is essential for the Padres. Due partially to the collapse of their broadcast cope with Diamond Sports activities Group, the membership needed to lower the payroll final winter. They flipped Juan Soto to the Yankees to assist them duck below the aggressive steadiness tax whereas additionally including some wanted beginning pitching depth.
Beginning pitching is once more a priority for the Friars going into 2025, with the latest information that Joe Musgrove is ready to overlook all of subsequent 12 months recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure. Michael King, Dylan Stop and Yu Darvish give the membership a robust entrance three however they’ve query marks on the again finish. Matt Waldron had a 3.71 ERA within the first half however an unsightly 8.10 ERA within the second half. Randy Vásquez had a 4.87 ERA this 12 months however with a tepid 14.4% strikeout fee and he additionally had an 8.21 ERA in his Triple-A begins. Musgrove will hopefully be again by 2026 however King and Stop are each slated without spending a dime company after 2025, that means there’s even much less certainty sooner or later.
Enhancing the rotation will undoubtedly be a magnet for president of baseball operations A.J. Preller this winter however the funds may once more be a problem. The Friars have already got an estimated $231MM CBT quantity for subsequent 12 months, in keeping with RosterResource, simply shy of subsequent 12 months’s $241MM base threshold. Assuming the membership needs to keep away from the tax once more in 2025, that doesn’t give Preller so much to work with and even back-end starters usually get eight-figure offers in free company. Final winter, Kyle Gibson obtained $13MM on a one-year deal, Lance Lynn obtained $11MM, Wade Miley and Alex Wooden every obtained $8.5MM whereas Martín Pérez obtained $8MM.
Along with filling out the rotation, Preller will probably be trying to substitute misplaced offensive manufacturing. Every of Jurickson Profar, Ha-Seong Kim, Donovan Solano, David Peralta and Kyle Higashioka are slated to succeed in free company, placing some notable dents within the lineup.
Given the membership’s tight funds and lengthy to-do listing, it could be an awesome resolution if Morejón may turn out to be a starter subsequent 12 months. That will be far cheaper than filling a rotation spot through the open market. There’s additionally the commerce market however the Padres have despatched out a variety of prospects in recent times and would in all probability like to keep away from doing extra of that, if doable.
However regardless of all of the attraction of Morejón leaping into the rotation, there’s additionally the danger of one other damage cropping up. In that state of affairs, it’s totally doable that the Padres fall wanting upgrading the rotation and likewise subtract a key lefty from the bullpen combine.
What do you suppose the Padres ought to do? Give him a shot on the rotation or keep on with what’s working? Have your say within the ballot under!