SAN DIEGO -- They all took very different paths to get to San Diego.
Adrian Morejon, the international signing from a decade ago who developed into an All-Star with the Padres.
Michael King, the key return piece in a blockbuster trade who moved from the bullpen into a starting role before eventually emerging as an ace and a postseason killer.
Ty France, the Minor League signing who earned his place on the roster, then wouldn’t stop mashing, turning in a career year and developing into an integral part of the Padres’ offense.
Different paths to get here. They all want to stay.
In the aftermath of San Diego’s National League Division Series exit Wednesday night, the hurt was all too fresh. It’s why so many of these Padres gathered in a circle in a corner of the home clubhouse and swapped stories over cold beverages long after the final out. It’s why, hours after the game had ended, a small handful of them emerged onto the field with the lights turned out. They brought a bucket of baseballs with them, tossed them in the air to themselves and tried to mash them as deep into the Petco Park seats as possible. (A healthy way to take out their frustrations, after a series full of them.)
The 2026 Padres will not be the 2027 Padres. And, in those moments, everyone in the home clubhouse seemed to know it. That’s just how this goes. Important decisions loom -- King, Morejon and France, chief among them.
“That’s a future decision,” King said in the moments after Wednesday’s Game 4 loss. “I’m just enjoying the company I’ve got right now.”
For King, the decision is his own. He is under contract for two more years but has a player option on those two years. He is owed a $28 million salary in ‘27 with a $5 million buyout should he opt out, then a $30 million salary in ‘28 (with no buyout).
Following an excellent 2026 season, King could become one of the most sought-after starters on the open market if he opts out. He posted a 3.21 ERA across 32 starts, then delivered the goods in the postseason. He will need to make that decision after the World Series, but even if he opts out, King would clearly be interested in returning. And the Padres should be very interested in bringing back their ace.
“San Diego has been incredible for me, and it’s all the way across the country from home,” said King, who went to high school in Rhode Island. “Now I feel like I have a second home on the West Coast. It’s been awesome. And I hope to continue it.”
As for Morejon, there are questions about his health in the immediate aftermath of an NLDS in which he wasn’t available for the final three games. Standing at his locker postgame Wednesday night, Morejon explained that after he’d thrown 31 pitches in a Game 1 loss, his right shoulder began to feel sore.
He played catch before Games 3 and 4. The soreness wouldn’t subside. On Wednesday, he told the Padres' staff that he had an inning in him, even if it might not be his best. The Padres chose to stay away.
“I start thinking of everything for the last 10 years,” Morejon said. “I feel like I’ve grown up in this organization.”
Morejon worked a career-high 86 innings in relief this season, posting a 2.83 ERA. He’s been an integral part of the best bullpen in baseball, and, like King, he expressed a desire to return.
“Everybody knows that,” Morejon said. “My agent knows that. It’s not really in my hands right now.”
France expressed a similar sentiment.
“I love this place,” France said. “I don’t really know what the offseason is going to look like or what’s in store. But I’ve said it from the beginning of Spring Training: This is where I wanted to be. My heart’s in San Diego, but I also understand it’s a business. We just haven’t had those conversations yet.”
Aside from France, the offensive core is set to remain intact. But a handful of integral pitchers will also become free agents, including Walker Buehler and Jason Adam. Same with both starters acquired at the Trade Deadline, Robbie Ray and Casey Mize.
“I feel like with the injuries, I’ve made myself pretty affordable,” joked Adam, who missed nearly three months this season with a right shoulder strain.
Then, he echoed the sentiment from just about every pending departure in that San Diego clubhouse.
“I love it here,” Adam said. “I think it’s the best setup in all of baseball, between the fans, the guys in this clubhouse, the coaching staff, life in San Diego. It’s been a privilege to be here the last few years. I hope there’s many more.”