A Piece That Could Transform the Blue Jays’ Bullpen
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There is no doubt that, for any team that can get his services, left-hander Adrian Morejon will be a key addition to the bullpen. The San Diego Padres should offer him a contract to stay and keep that great group of relievers intact, the one that helped them get all the way to the postseason. It was an incredible job, and the only reason Morejon is not the closer is that they have one of the best closers in baseball, right-hander Mason Miller.
There will be several teams interested in Morejon and they will probably explore the idea of turning him into a closer. He has all the tools. If you take a look at his percentiles and compare the consistency he has shown from one year to the next, what you will literally see are bars and more red bars, since almost all his metrics were in the elite range. He finished in the 99th percentile in xERA, Chase% and Barrel%, three metrics that reflect his ability to induce chases outside the zone and limit his opponents’ hard-hit balls.
He was also in the 98th percentile in velocity, with a blazing fastball that averaged 99.3 mph, as well as in xSLG and GB%, two metrics that reflect his opponents’ low expected slugging and his ability to induce ground balls.
His main area for improvement has been control and, even so, he finished 2026 in the 57th percentile in BB%. In other words, the opposition’s opportunities to do damage against him are few and far between. When he doesn’t strike you out, he has the ability to induce ground balls and limit hard contact. That is why, if he doesn’t lose control at some point, it is very difficult to beat Morejon.
An unmissable opportunity for Toronto
A pitcher like Morejon would be extremely useful on any team, but there are some bullpens that would be transformed by his arrival. What would the contrast look like for the Blue Jays with Tyler Rogers, Adrian Morejon and then Louis Varland? That should be crazy! First, you have to face a submarine pitcher, quite uncomfortable, whose mechanics and release angle offer a very different perspective from that of conventional pitchers.
To a large extent— without taking anything away from his weapons—that profile is an added value that also makes Rogers difficult to face. But if, after seeing those zigzagging sliders and that uncomfortable sinker at less than 83 mph, an imposing left-hander who throws fire with a devastating changeup shows up, the contrast becomes even more difficult. And you still have to face Varland, with his combination of fastball and knuckle curveball.
In 2026, Rogers’ slider and Varland’s fastball—which increased his average velocity from 98.1 to 98.8 mph compared to the previous season—combined for 200 plate appearances without allowing home runs. If we add Morejon’s changeup to the mix, even though he pitched for the San Diego Padres, the combination would rise to 277 at-bats without a home run allowed among those three pitches.
That said, we all know how the Jays could take a big step even before opening their next spring camp. If they invest in their bullpen, Morejon should be the priority. His arrival would strengthen one of the areas that helped the Blue Jays the most in keeping their playoff aspirations alive until September. There is hope that pitchers like Jose Berrios and Cody Ponce will manage to bounce back and return to the rotation alongside the main starters, Dylan Cease and Jose Soriano.
Trey Yesavage is also expected to be completely healthy from the start, and maybe Max Scherzer will decide to return. Shane Bieber will probably receive an offer to stay for one more year, but either way, Spencer Miles must also be counted on, as he showed he can take on the challenge, even if it is in an opener role.
Many expectations surrounding Toronto’s pitching, but the team will have to make the right moves. Bringing in Morejon would be one key move capable of changing the season before it begins.
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Yirsandy is a baseball writer specializing in MLB coverage with experience across multiple teams and storylines. He currently writes for Diamond Centric, where he covers the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. My work focuses on game coverage, player analysis, and storytelling that connects performance with context. My Substack has also been an important part of my writing development, where I’ve built much of my baseball coverage and storytelling voice over time. I’m passionate about combining reporting, research, and thoughtful analysis to produce engaging baseball content for readers.
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