The San Diego Padres already have an offseason departure as they lost one of their pitching coaches to the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. A coach who has been in the organization for over 10 years and worked at the major league level since 2020 will now lead the pitching staff in the desert.

In other news, there have been some contract predictions made from former MLB general manager Jim Bowden of The Athletic regarding left-handed pitchers Adrian Morejon and Robbie Ray.

In regards to Morejon, he sees the 27-year-old being one of the biggest signings of the offseason given his age and talent.

"Morejon has been one of the best high-leverage multi-inning relievers in the sport the past couple of years. While he hasn’t regularly held the closer role in San Diego, he is clearly capable of being a lockdown closer," Bowden wrote.

Though Morejon is in a middle relief/setup role in San Diego, Bowden explained why he is being valued in the bracket of an elite closer this free agency.

"Morejon ranked in the 93rd percentile in pitching run value, 91st percentile in fastball run value and 95th percentile in offspeed run value in 2026. He also ranked in the 98th percentile in ground-ball rate and 99th percentile in xERA. His changeup is so deceptive that opposing batters hit just .156 against it."

As for Ray, he had an abysmal showing as a Padre after he was dealt at the trade deadline, but is still projected to sign a large deal based on his resume and first-half success in 2026.

"Ray had a 3.59 ERA in 182 1/3 innings for the Giants in 2025, his first full season back after 2023 Tommy John surgery. He followed that up this year by posting a 3.08 ERA in 122 2/3 innings for the Giants before being traded to the Padres at the deadline," Bowden wrote.

Though a Padres reunion is unlikely, the starting rotation is an area that will still need much improvement ahead of the 2027 season. If Ray can be had at the right price, perhaps a full season in San Diego can avenge a disappointing start to his tenure.

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