Yankees Urged to Fix Weak Bullpen With Two Padres Relievers

The New York Yankees need serious bullpen help ahead of 2026, and the return of relief pitchers like Paul Blackburn are drawing attention to the struggling position group. While the Yankees struggle to get another starter and outfielder, they'll need to focus on fixing the underdiscussed position group.

The Yankees' bullpen had a combined 4.37 ERA in 2025, 23rd in the league, and while Devin Williams happened to be this year's poster child for the trend (with his own 4.79 ERA on the season), the Yankees are hurting for reliable relievers.

David Bednar is their presumed closer and had an excellent 2025 season, and they have brought back old standby Tim Hill after another consistent year, but they'll need some new arms to really contend. The bullpen blew too many winnable games for the Yankees once again.

In a recent piece describing the team's longtime struggles in the latter innings, The Athletic's Chris Kirschner pointed to the San Diego Padres as a viable trade partner, specifically naming Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon as the most realistic targets. Both would be big improvements.

Jeremiah Estrada

Estrada finished 2025 with a 3.45 ERA over 77 games for the Padres in his second year on the team. The 27-year-old righty played his first two major league seasons with the Chicago Cubs in a career that began in 2022. In May 2024, Estrada logged a record 13 consecutive strikeouts (including multiple games), a record that stands and includes at least the entire expansion era.

Adrian Morejon

Morejon logged a 2.08 ERA across 75 appearances in 2025. A reliever for the Padres since the beginning of his MLB career in 2019, Morejon has a career 3.43 ERA across 185 games (212.1 innings pitched). The 27-year-old lefty might be the Yankees' best option from the Padres with the right package.

Spencer Jones?

The Padres have a deep bullpen, and they are listening to trade offers for their relievers. Their list of offseason priorities included a frontline starter, which they seemed to achieve with the return of Michael King, but they may be open to offers from the Yankees on a power hitter.

Whether the Yankees want to part with one of their own favorite children is the question, but Spencer Jones, who has shown great promise in the minors (despite a concerningly-high strikeout rate), has the power. The Padres finished 28th in the league in home runs in 2025 with 152. Jones banged out 35 in the minors and his .571 slugging percentage would be a considerable selling point.

Of course, the Yankees may not want to give Jones up for bullpen depth after guarding him so closely at the trade deadline. On the other hand, a risky offseason to get themselves that much closer to victory would make sense. We only have so many years left of Aaron Judge, and this quiet offseason is beginning to worry fans who are paying attention.

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