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Padres' Adrian Morejon gets $88 million comparison to Astros All-Star
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- Padres' Adrian Morejon gets $88 million comparison to Astros All-Star
Padres' Adrian Morejon gets $88 million comparison to Astros All-Star originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Left-handed reliever Adrian Morejon is now a free agent after a dominant season with the San Diego Padres .
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If someone's ready to step into a closer's role, it's Morejon.
He posted a 2.83 ERA and struck out 30.4% of the batters he faced in 76 appearances (86 innings) in 2026.
Morejon's value is higher than most setup men because he can pitch multiple innings. Plus, his Baseball Savant page is a sea of red, including a 99.4 mph average fastball velocity that ranks in the 98th percentile.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projects the 27-year-old will earn a four-year, $88 million contract in free agency.
"He now has a sparkling three-year span of relief performance, hitting the market heading into his age-28 season," McDaniel wrote.
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McDaniel compared Morejon's performance to Josh Hader's before he signed a five-year, $95 million contract with the Houston Astros .
"I'm hedging a bit because Morejon's overall case is a bit stronger, but Hader's real edge (and the recipient of the biggest reliever contract of all time: Edwin Diaz at five years, $102 million) is that saves total," he added.
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Morejon and Hader's numbers are nearly identical over a three-year span, including in xERA. However, Morejon's 6.2 WAR is 1.1 higher than Hader's WAR, mostly due to injuries.
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Both pitchers are dominant, but Morejon stands out as one of the game's best relievers in the past few seasons.
He can continue his role as a dominant setup man or become a full-time closer for the first time.
