Yankees Eye Padres Reliever Adrián Morejón as Free Agency Looms
The New York Yankees are under growing pressure to pursue left-handed reliever Adrián Morejón in free agency, after the San Diego Padres declined to trade him before the deadline and instead extended him a qualifying offer, ahoramismo.com reported. Morejón, 27, has until November 17 to accept or reject San Diego’s offer. The Yankees have long needed to reinforce their bullpen, and in recent weeks other names, including Padres reliever Mason Miller and Brewers reliever Trevor Megill, have also surfaced.
The speculation follows a viral false report ahead of the trade deadline claiming the Yankees had turned down a Padres proposal to acquire Morejón in exchange for starting pitcher Will Warren, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. At the time, Morejón was posting a 2.83 ERA across 76 appearances with 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings — production that would have addressed New York’s bullpen needs.
How the Rumors Started
The fabricated report spread quickly on social media because, as Kuty noted, a pitcher of Morejón’s caliber would have fit the Yankees’ roster. The Padres ultimately kept him, and he finished the 2026 regular season with a 2.83 ERA, 107 strikeouts and 28 walks in 86.0 innings over 76 games, ahoramismo.com reported.
San Diego made Morejón a qualifying offer that might prove too tempting for him to reject.
Eight Years in San Diego, Elite 2026 Numbers
Morejón has spent his entire MLB career with the Padres since debuting on July 21, 2019, giving him eight seasons of experience with one organization. He was selected to the 2025 All-Star Game.
The workload is the one concern — he has totaled 211 appearances over the past three seasons.
In 2026, he posted a 38.6% chase rate on pitches outside the strike zone, ranking in the 99th percentile of Major League Baseball, and a hard-hit rate of 2.8%, also in the 99th percentile.
What Happens by November 17
Morejón has until November 17 to accept or reject the Padres’ qualifying offer, and the Yankees — a team that has long needed to fortify the back of its bullpen — are among those pressing to pursue him in free agency. Bringing the left-hander to the Bronx would be a major signing.
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