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The New York Yankees (63-49) have one of the deepest rotations in baseball but could use another effective reliever for the playoffs. The San Diego Padres (58-54) pride themselves on their bullpen but sorely need more starting pitching help. Both franchises are facing varying levels of pressure this season. When reviewing all the facts, it is easy to pair them together as suitable trade partners. Well, A.J. Preller feels otherwise, at least right now.
The Padres turned down a deal that would have landed competent right-hander Will Warren in exchange for impactful lefty Adrian Morejon, according to USA TODAY’s Bib Nightengale. San Diego trails the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia by one game for a National League Wild Card slot, but without an additional starter or two, the postseason will be extremely difficult to reach.
One can see why Preller would value Morejon over Warren in a one-for-one scenario, especially since the team’s identity is heavily tied to its pen, but The Friars may want to at least explore alternative options. Waiting for Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta to return from the injured list could be an exercise in futility.
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Adrian Morejon, a 2025 All-Star with a nasty sinker, owns an 8-2 record with a 3.00 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched this season. He will enter free agency at the end of the campaign, while Warren is under club control through 2030. If the Padres intend to part with the 27-year-old Cuban before Monday’s MLB trade deadline, they clearly believe they can get a better offer.
Will Warren lowered his ERA to 4.14 after tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings versus the Chicago Cubs on Friday, so perhaps he can still generate interest from other teams. Yankees fans will expect Brian Cashman to pivot, unless he decides to come back at Preller with something else. Both executives will be under the microscope for the next several hours.
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