Morejon Wants To Stay A Reliever, According To This Report

The San Diego Padres could be losing key left-hander Adrian Morejon, and he’s indicating that he wants to stay a reliever despite reports of multiple teams that are interested in converting him to a starter, according to Charlie Wright of MLBTradeRumors.com.  

This could potentially cost Morejon some contract money, but it’s probably a smart move on his part. The reliever is coming off what Wright called a dominant platform year setting up for closer Mason Miller as part of one of the strongest bullpens in baseball. 

He posted a 2.83 ERA with a 30.4 percent strikeout rate across a career-high 86 innings, and Morejon finished tied for fifth in the league with 28 holds. He also chipped in three saves, although he blew five saves, with that being the lone black mark on his record. 

The rest of what Morejon has done speaks for itself. Morejon has had a sub-3.00 ERA with solid strikeout numbers and good control while operating in a high-leverage gole. He’s accumulated 60 holds, 25 wins, and eight saves since the start of 2024.

Morejon signed with the Padres as an international free agent back in 2016, and he did work as a starter back in the lower levels of San Diego’s minor league system, but he pitched in a swing role when he made his debut with the team back in 2019. 

His reluctance to switch roles is probably at least in part related to the Tommy John surgery he had back in 2021. He’s been almost exclusively a reliever ever since, with his only start coming as an extended opener in 2023. 

The transition isn’t uncommon, and Wright noted that Morejon’s arsenal would play in that role. He leads with a sinker/changeup combo, according to Wright backed by a slider and a four-seamer. It’s a well-balanced mix that can get hitters on both sides of the plate out. 

His velocity may be another issue in not wanting to make the switch. Morejon throws one of the hardest sinkers in the league, and the reliver averaged at least 99 miles an hour with both his four-seamer and the sinker. It’s a devastating combination, but it’s unclear if he could maintain that kind of velocity as a starter. 

Morejon also dealt with a shoulder injury that kept him out of the final three games of the NLDS, as the Padres worked him hard, and that could be another consideration as he gets evaluated by multiple interested teams.