Padres Reject Yankees' Trade Proposal For Key Reliever

The trade would have brought a durable starting pitcher to San Diego

San Diego Padres general manager AJ Preller, right, talks with CEO Erik Greupner in the dugout before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Padres reportedly rejected a trade with the Yankees that would have sent starting pitcher Will Warren to San Diego and left-handed pitcher Adrian Morejon to New York.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today framed the proposal as a 1-for-1 swap, but it's possible other pieces were involved.

The San Diego Padres rejected a deal that would have sent Yankees starter Will Warren for valuable left-handed set-up man Adrian Morejon.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 3, 2026

Executives often discuss different permutations of trades before they actually come to fruition — and sometimes walk away altogether if they can't agree on the particulars.

Padres general manager A.J. Preller might not have been willing to do this version of a deal with the Yankees, but the two sides might come back around to reach an accord before the 3 p.m. PT Monday deadline. Teams cannot trade 40-man roster players afterward. It's also possible Morejon, who has spent his entire career with the Padres, remains in San Diego.

Warren, 27, is 8-5 with a 4.14 ERA (101 ERA+) in 22 games (21 starts) this season. Last year, his first full MLB season, the right-hander went 9-8 with a 4.44 ERA and led the American League with 33 starts.

Warren has some postseason experience from the Yankees' 2025 postseason run, but it didn't go well. He pitched 4.2 innings of relief against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series. He allowed six runs, and did not appear in another postseason game.

But for a Padres team that has gotten little help from the back of its rotation, and likely can't afford to wait on Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta, and Lucas Giolito to return from the injured list, acquiring a starting pitcher is almost a must.

Compared to some of the Padres' other rumored trade targets — namely, the Reds' Brady Singer and possibly the Mets' Kodai Senga — Warren looks attractive.

He also comes at a cost. The Yankees were linked to both Morejon and closer Mason Miller in trade rumors. Morejon doesn't light up the radar gun, or strike out hitters with the same frequency, as Miller. But he's a former starter who can throw multiple innings out of the bullpen, and has pitched 196 innings over the last three seasons with a 2.62 ERA.

Importantly, Morejon is a free agent after the season, while Warren offers four more years of team control. The Padres would be getting a starter through 2030 if they get him for Morejon (or some other combintion of relievers).

The Yankees traded three relievers — Camilo Doval, Jake Bird and Yovanny Cruz — in the last 48 hours. They'll need to find replacements somewhere before Monday's deadline. It seems as if Morejon is at or near the top of their list.

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