Phillies' $42 Million Projection May Have Just Changed Everything

The Philadelphia Phillies are in dire need of some bullpen help heading into the MLB offseason, and they should be looking to add multiple relievers.

Alex McFarlane was the only arm Don Mattingly could depend on to build a bridge to Jhoan Durant down the stretch this past season, and that must change heading into 2027.

Fortunately for the Phillies, there will be some terrific arms available this winter, and perhaps the most intriguing of all is Adrian Morejon.

Morejon has spent the first eight seasons of his big-league career with the San Diego Padres, but he didn't really become a full-time relief pitcher until 2024.

Since then, the left-hander has established himself as one of the top late-inning hurlers in the game and is coming off of a 2026 campaign in which he posted a 2.83 ERA and 11.2 K/9 over 76 relief apearances.

There is no question that Morejon would be an outstanding addition to Philadelphia's pen, but will he be affordable?

While some feel that the 27-year-old will land in the neighborhood of $100 million in free agency, which would likely remove the Phillies from the bidding, Jim Bowden of The Athletic has a much lighter projection for Morejon.

Bowden is predicting that Morejon will secure a three-year, $42 million contract, which would result in a very manageable $14 million AAV.

He also named Philadelphia as one of the best three fits for Morejon along with the Padres and the New York Yankees.

Make no mistake: if Morejon really only gets $42 million over three years this offseason, the Phillies should waste no time jumping all over the former All-Star.

A late-inning duo of Morejon and Duran would be absolutely lethal, especially when you factor into the equation that Philadelphia has Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Zack Wheeler in its starting rotation.

While the Phils absolutely need to address their ailing offense, boasting a dominant rotation and a shutdown bullpen would certainly be a great way to counter not having the most high-octane lineup.

However, it seems hard to believe that Morejon will only land $14 million a year. Not with Devin Williams having bagged three years and $51 million from the New York Mets last winter.

I mean, sure; the Mets spend foolishly, but you can bet that Morejon and his team will use Williams' contract as a bargaining chip. It should also be noted that Tanner Scott received four years and $72 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

I think Morejon will probably be more around the $18-20 million annually range, and I don't think the Phillies would match that.