Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said starting pitching will be a need this offseason as right-handers Dylan Cease and Michael King reach free agency.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Preller mentioned both Mason Miller and Adrián Morejón while discussing the Padres’ bullpen as a strength.
He also did not rule out stretching either out as a starting pitcher.
“We’ll get together as a group,” Preller said. “We’ll have our thoughts. We’ll definitely get Mason’s thoughts and hear what he thinks is best. We’ll see how the offseason plays out, roster-wise. Then we’ll have some clear direction for him of what that looks like.”
Miller struck out 45 batters in 23⅓ innings (0.77 ERA) after the trade from the Athletics and another eight batters across 2⅔ scoreless innings in the NL Wild Card Series. He appears to be the heir apparent to Robert Suarez if the Padres’ closer opts out of the final two years of a deal that sees his annual salary drop from $10 million to $8 million.
Miller began his A’s career as a starting pitcher before settling in the bullpen. Likewise, Morejón signed for $11 million as a 16-year-old starting pitcher only to fall into middle relief roles after various injuries derailed the beginning of his career.
Adrian Morejon #50 of the San Diego Padres looks on after a strike out during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park on Friday, July 11, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Morejón won 13 games, saved three games and recorded 20 holds as a first-time All-Star this year. He has in the past expressed both a willingness to work with the organization on decisions about his role while also embracing his success coming out of the bullpen.
“A tremendous year for Adrián,” Preller said. “It’s been a lot of fun to be a part of and to watch, seeing his progression. He’s always been a super talent, and he’s found a home there in the bullpen. So we’ll obviously take all of that into consideration. I think he can do a lot of things. You know, you have a lefty that’s throwing three-plus pitches with command and the ability to use him in different places in the game. I think that’ll be a conversation as we get into it, similar to Mason, about what that looks like here for next year.
“But that’s what I think the next couple of weeks and month will be about.”
San Diego Padres’ Ethan Salas on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Salas update
The organization’s decision to pull catching prospect Ethan Salas from the Arizona Fall League was about, as Preller said, “instead of being 92% sure, let’s be 99% sure” he has recovered from the stress reaction in the lower right side of his back.
“He’s 19 years old,” Preller said. “This is about the next 10 years.”
The organization’s top prospect, Salas played in just 10 games with Double-A San Antonio before the injury sidelined him for the season. He was finally cleared for baseball activity in mid-August and was then assigned to the Peoria Javelinas of the Fall League.
Preller said Salas did not suffer a setback but also declined to detail what the Padres’ medical team needs to see before the catcher can ramp up baseball activity. Salas was initially cleared by a back specialist and team physician Bryan Leek in August.
Preller did not rule out Salas playing in an international winter league this offseason.
“I think as we’ve sat down and looked at it, it’s like, is it really worth it if the doctors are saying … two more weeks can do him even more good and can take the healing process to a more complete level?” Preller said. “I think it’s been more about that. So he’s swinging the bat. Saw some video from it the other day. … He looks good. He sounds good. He should be ready to go (for) spring training. I don’t think this offseason is a no playing somewhere else, but I think we just want to make sure that … we’re listening to our doctors and doing everything you can.”
Notable
Preller said he’s talked with Yu Darvish “quite a bit over the last week,” but the starting pitcher does not appear to have indicated anything about his future in the organization. Darvish, 39, is under contract through 2028, but he spent the first half of this season on the injured list, and said he would pitch without worrying if his elbow would “break” in the postseason and would need the offseason to think about what it would take to pitch next season. Said Preller: “We’ll keep talking to him over the course of the next couple of weeks to see what it all means for him. … He’s a big part of the organization, and I think we’ll have more conversation here over the course of the next couple weeks, but it’s just really been the start of it overall.”
• Catcher Luis Campusano paired 25 homers with a 1.036 OPS in 105 games with Triple-A El Paso, but he went 0-for-21 with six walks and 11 strikeouts in the majors and didn’t appear in a game with the Padres after July 13, even as a September call-up. Campusano made the Padres’ postseason roster, but did not appear in any games. “He’s going to be in our mix next year, for sure,” Preller said. “I’m hoping his experiences this year are going to help him overall as a player.”
Originally Published: October 14, 2025 at 4:29 PM PDT