The New York Yankees have long needed to bolster their bullpen.
A few names have surfaced over the past few weeks, including Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres and Trevor Megill of the Milwaukee Brewers.
But another name is turning heads: Adrian Morejon, another Padres reliever.
Yankees Pressured To Target Adrian Morejon in Free Agency
Morejon just wrapped up his age-27 season in San Diego.
He’s since emerged as a key headliner in free agency for ballclubs needing a bullpen upgrade.
But perhaps New York would benefit most.
“Remember the false report before the trade deadline that the Yankees had rejected a deal from the San Diego Padres that would have netted Morejon in exchange for starting pitcher Will Warren?” Brendan Kuty of The Athletic wrote.
“Well, it went viral on social media because, at the time, the Yankees could have used a pitcher like Morejon, who had a 2.83 ERA over 76 outings with 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
“Morejon, who was an All-Star in 2025, might come with workload concerns. He’s made 211 appearances over the last three years. The Yankees need to build the back end of their bullpen, and Morejon would go a long way, but the Padres made him the qualifying offer, and it might be too tempting to pass up.”
Bringing the southpaw to the Bronx would be a steal, but he still has until Nov. 17 to accept or decline San Diego’s offer.
Snapshot of Morejon’s 8-year MLB Career
With eight years under his belt, Morejon has earned the veteran title.
His entire career has been spent with the Padres after making his debut with the organization on July 21, 2019.
By the end of his 2026 regular season, he has posted a 2.83 ERA and 107 strikeouts across 86.0 innings pitched through 76 games.
He walked 28 batters.
Morejon’s 38.6% chase rate in 2026 landed him in the 99th percentile across the major leagues. This proves his impressive ability to get hitters to swing outside the strike zone.
Not to mention, his 2.8% barrel rate is also in the 99th percentile — an elite metric.
There’s plenty for the Yankees to work with here, but the bullpen isn’t the only area the organization needs to address.
New York Yankees Face Rising Pressure To Add NL Reliever to Bullpen