Ex-GM Expresses Major Concern Over Signing Padres' Adrian Morejon in Free Agency

The 27-year-old left-hander logged a lot of innings in 2026.

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Adrian Morejon (50) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on Sept. 26, 2026. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Adrian Morejon was unavailable to the San Diego Padres in a critical late-game situation in a National League Division Series game against the Milwaukee Brewers, manager Craig Stammen blamed "stickiness" in the pitcher's left shoulder.

An MRI exam on Morejon's left shoulder is unlikely to reveal duct tape or glue. However, whatever led him to be unavailable in the Division Series is a concern that will linger into the offseason, as teams gauge Morejon's value in years and dollars in free agency.

Former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden, speaking on Foul Territory on Tuesday, said the injury track record would "petrify" him as an executive evaluating whether or not to sign Morejon.

"You know it's high risk,” Bowden said. "The way they get used, it's already an injury risk."

Morejon was Stammen's most frequently used reliever during the regular season, racking up 76 appearances and 86 innings out of the bullpen. The left-hander did little to discourage his manager, going 9-3 with a 2.83 ERA and striking out 107 batters with a 1.081 WHIP.

Only three pitchers racked up more appearances out of the bullpen this season, while only two logged more innings.

Baseball is littered with relievers who were durable and effective one year, then hurt and/or inefficient the next. Only a few are consistently elite year after year.

If Morejon wants the big money as a free agent, his physical will have to reassure teams that the "stickiness" of October is behind him.

“Just make sure you've done an MRI on the elbow, on the shoulder before you give them the money and make sure you've got all the tests so that your medical people can tell you what the risk [is] and the risk is not at the time you sign them," Bowden said. "Not that that's perfect, because it's not, but you'll be surprised how many teams don't do their due diligence — don't check sometimes as thorough as that and sometimes the guy ends up blowing out."

That includes the Padres, who could justify re-signing Morejon as a reliever or perhaps as a starter, the role he impressed with as a minor league prospect early in his tenure in the organization.

In theory, the Padres know Morejon's health more intimately than any other team. If they choose to let him go elsewhere in free agency, that might help explain the decision.

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