CBS Experts Predict Adrian Morejon's Free Agency Landing Spot

The San Diego Padres fell short of the NLCS with a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. 

The Padres now have plenty of questions in the offseason, with a lot of them in the pitching department. 

Michael King, the team's ace, has opted out and is set to command a lot of money in free agency. 

Another one is key reliever Adrian Morejon. He is a starter-turned-reliever who made the All-Star team in 2025 and became Mason Miller's setup man this season as part of a loaded San Diego bullpen. 

The issue is that Morejon might want a big payday, and plenty of outlets have already predicted that Morejon will leave and sign elsewhere in free agency, although it certainly won't be because the Padres don't want him to return. 

CBS Sports experts Mike Axisa, Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder all predicted that Morejon will leave San Diego. 

Two of them picked the Chicago Cubs as the landing spot, and Perry selected the New York Yankees as his desination. 

Some have wondered if Morejon can return to being a starting pitcher, and that's a reason for both the Cubs and Yankees being interested, although the Cubs have a more pressing need in the starting rotation right now. 

Perry also says he "expects" that the Yankees will pay for whatever it takes to land Morejon, and that might not be something the Padres can keep up with, although we never know with new owners roaming around Petco Park. 

Morejon's name popped up in Yankees rumors at this year's trade deadline in a deal that was expected to have Will Warren coming to San Diego, although it turned out to be nothing more than a rumor. 

The Padres did give Morejon a one-year qualifying offer worth $23.15 million, and he has until Nov. 17 to accept or decline that offer before hitting free agency. 

On one hand, nearly $24 million for one year is a lot of money. On the other hand, others predicted that Morejon could land a multi-year deal, and while it might be less than $24 million per season, it would secure him the big money for the next few years. 

In theory, the Padres want to keep Morejon, but they also have to add plenty of starting pitching, and Bradgley Rodriguez is a young option who could step into Morejon's setup role if the left-hander leaves in free agency.