SAN DIEGO -- Nine years after Padres general manager A.J. Preller signed 17-year-old Cuban pitcher Adrian Morejon to a record $11 million dollar deal during the international signing period, he got to tell him he was headed to his first All-Star game.
The 26-year-old Morejon, whose seven wins lead all MLB relievers, is 7-3 with a 1.67 ERA along with 12 holds, matching his career-high from 2024. Morejon joins his fellow bullpen mates Robert Suarez and Jason Adam in the Midsummer Classic in Atlanta, the most pitchers to represent the Padres in an All-Star game since Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Trevor Hoffman did so in 2007.
Shortly after Morejon earned his seventh win of the season in the Padres 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night, Preller walked into the team's kitchen to inform him he was replacing Phillies pitcher Zach Wheeler.
"I was very excited, very grateful to get that news," said Morejon through interpreter Jore Merlos. "When I found out, obviously yesterday I got the win as well, ...and get that news afterwards, just very grateful that all things came out the way that it did. Preller's been a person that signed me nine years ago and the fact that he was that person to be able to give me that news is just something."
When asked about how he's evolved from a young pitcher into a breakout, All-Star season, Morejon says he has grown up amid all the adversity, including multiple trips to the injured list and Tommy-John surgery that sidelined him for most of 2022-2023.
"I think the best word that I can describe it is maturity. I've gone through a lot of things over the past couple of years, whether it's injuries, mentally-wise. I know I had a great group of staff, whether it's pitching coaches, trainers, anybody from the back and the staff has been able to help me out and really become a mature over these past couple of years, it's really helped out."
Notable
Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has the ninth best-selling jersey in baseball, according to a list revealed by MLB on Friday...Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are first and second respectively...Yu Darvish will make his second start of the season on Saturday versus the Phillies...Xander Bogaerts recorded his ninth three-hit game on Friday in the 4-2 win over the Phillies...Robert Suarez recorded his league-leading 28th save...Padres are sending five players to the All-Star game for the second consecutive year, a first for the franchise. Tatis, Jackson Merrill, Jurickson Profar, Robert Suarez and Luis Arraez represented in 2024...RHP Eduarniel Nunez was optioned to El Paso on Friday to make room for pitcher Ryan Bergert.
Quotable
"We've got three All-Stars in the back end of the bullpen. It's unbelievable. I'm super proud of Morejon. I don't think he gets enough credit for anything he's doing this year. He's got one of the lowest batting averages against him I've seen...it's been a rough-like journey for him. He's been hurt. He's been up here. He's been down there. It was just like he found his groove and I'm super proud of him. He's a really nice guy, he deserves it."
-Jackson Merrill on Thursday night, before finding out Morejón was headed to the All-Star game.