San Diego Padres relief pitcher Mason Miller (22) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park on Aug. 22. David Frerker-Imagn Images

Padres Could Transition Mason Miller to Starting Pitcher, Says AJ Preller

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Barring something unexpected, the San Diego Padres will have at least four healthy major league starters — Yu Darvish, Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez and JP Sears — under contract or team control in 2026.

Joe Musgrove and Jhony Brito are both expected to return from their Tommy John surgery rehabilitations next year, but both figure to be limited after not pitching competitively in 2025. Michael King has a $15 million mutual option in his contract, which is expected to be declined.

Meanwhile Dylan Cease, who led the Padres in starts and strikeouts this year, is expected to find employment elsewhere via free agency.

That leaves general manager A.J. Preller in a position to bolster his starting rotation this winter. As the Padres' needs go, a depth starter might not be the most pressing. For his part, Preller certainly sounds willing to get creative in filling the vacancy from within.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday via Zoom, Preller wouldn't rule out the possibility that left-hander Adrian Morejon and right-hander Mason Miller — both key cogs in the Padres' bullpen down the stretch this season — would transition to the rotation in 2026.

Miller finished the season as the Padres' closer after arriving in a blockbuster trade with the A's. The 27-year-old posted a 0.77 ERA in 22 games (23.1 innings), limiting opponents to seven hits and 45 strikeouts while lighting up radar guns with his triple-digit fastball.

Making the idea of Miller in the rotation even more intriguing, the Padres might lose closer Robert Suarez to free agency after he posted 40 saves in the regular season. Suarez has an $8 million player option for each of the next two seasons, but is likely to opt out and test the market.

"We’ll get together as a group,” Preller said of Miller. “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.”

As for Morejon, The 26-year-old former prospect has finally come into his own as a reliever. He followed up a strong 2024 campaign (3-2, 2.83 ERA in 60 games) with an even better 2025 (13-6, 2.08 ERA in 75 games). He made his first National League All-Star Game appearance in July.

“A tremendous year for Adrian,” 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."