OFFICIAL TRADE TARGET: ADRIAN MOREJON NAMED AS THE YANKEES' TOP PRIORITY FOR 2026 BULLPEN
The New York Yankees are urged to trade for Padres All-Star Adrian Morejon to bolster a bullpen led by closer David Bednar in 2026.
The Yankees could use another good relief pitcher, and they might try to make a trade to get one.
Word is that David Bednar will close for the Yankees in 2026. Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz should be the setup men. Still, the Yankees could use another top-notch reliever, and a trade might be the way to get one.
Chris Kirschner from The Athletic thinks the team should try to get Adrian Morejon from the San Diego Padres.
Kirschner wrote that the Yankees would be better off if they could get another guy for the end of games. He says the Padres are open to trading their best relievers like Estrada, Mason Miller, and Adrian Morejon. Miller is the best of the bunch. but the Yankees probably couldn't swing a deal for him. Estrada and Morejon are more likely options, and either one would be a great addition.
Morejon would be a great left-handed relief pitcher for the Yankees in important situations. He was an All-Star in 2025 and would be a key guy in New York's bullpen.
Last year, Morejon went 13-6 with a 2.08 ERA in 75 games, which proves he can be a go-to guy for the Yankees. He's under contract through 2026, too.
The Yankees Need Another Reliever
The Yankees haven't done much this offseason, which is kind of surprising.
They're still talking to some of the big free agents, like Cody Bellinger, but they should also get some pitching help. Even though they have Bednar to close games, Kirschner thinks New York needs another great reliever.
Kirschner also added that the Yankees have too many question marks in their bullpen to feel good about them being much better in 2026. That's why Cashman needs to get at least one more good reliever before the season starts.
Since most of the good relievers have already signed, the only way for the Yankees to get a top-tier reliever is through a trade.
Aaron Boone Has Faith in the Bullpen
The Yankees' bullpen had some problems in 2025, but the team did a nice job fixing it as the season went on.
New York got Bednar and Doval at the trade deadline, and Bednar was a big help. Even though Doval struggled at times, Boone liked how he ended the season and expects him to play a key role in 2026.
Boone said earlier this month that he feels good about where Doval was at the end of the season and in the playoffs. He felt like Doval had some of his best outings at the very end and in the postseason.
Boone also mentioned that Doval cleaned up some things in how he gets set, which put him in a better position to throw strikes. And that he's had a good winter, communicating and working on his throwing program to get ready to go. Boone is really hopeful about what Doval will do for the team.
The Yankees' only bullpen move this offseason was re-signing Paul Blackburn.
RAIDERS PLACE RECEIVER JUSTIN SHORTER ON IR; SIGN HOOSIERS STAR BRADY
With Justin Shorter on IR, discover how new signing Jonathan Brady fits into the Raiders' wide receiver youth movement for 2026.
The Raiders aren’t sitting still; rookie minicamp just started, and they're already shuffling the roster. Right now, some veteran players are basically on borrowed time as the team leans hard into getting younger.
Take Justin Shorter. He’s been in Vegas since 2024 but hasn’t caught a pass in an actual NFL game. Well, his spot just got even more shaky. The Raiders put him on the Reserve/Injured list, which, let’s be real, is never a good sign this early in the offseason. Usually, that sort of move means a buyout could be next so he can test free agency.
There’s a steady influx of young receivers competing for spots, so it’s tough to see Shorter making his way back, even if he heals up. To fill his spot, the team signed Jonathan Brady, a receiver out of Indiana.
Nobody’s really sure what kind of injury Shorter has. If it’s serious, maybe he sticks around and rehabs with the team. If not, we might see him try his luck somewhere else.
As for the Raiders’ wide receiver group, the youth movement is real. Wide receiver was a big need heading into the offseason, but they didn’t do much outside of signing Jalen Nailor and drafting Malik Benson in the sixth round.
Vincent Bonsignore from the California Post pointed out that the Raiders might still look to add more receivers if the current group doesn’t step up. He basically said that the early rounds of the draft went to bigger needs, and now guys like Bech and Thornton Jr. have a chance to prove the team doesn’t have to keep looking elsewhere. But don’t expect the Raiders to hesitate if things look shaky.
Now, about that passing game, it was rough last season. The Raiders finished in the bottom five. But with Klint Kubiak calling plays and Fernando Mendoza hopefully taking over for Geno Smith, things honestly should get better. If Kirk Cousins ends up starting, he’s probably an upgrade, too. And bringing in Tyler Linderbaum at centre will only help.
Chances are, the Raiders will use an early pick on a receiver in next year’s draft. Even though they have a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings, they didn’t spend big at receiver this offseason. Maybe that’s because they don’t expect him to start right away. Who knows. For now, the wide receiver group looks decent enough to get by.
NFL EXECUTIVE NAMES COLE PAYTON HIS "NO. 2 QUARTERBACK" IN THE 2026 CLASS
From 94.6 PFF grades to 4.56 speed, Cole Payton is the Eagles' latest QB project. Analysing his path to the NFL depth chart.
Cole Payton, who played quarterback at North Dakota State, might end up making a bigger splash as a fifth-round pick than people expect.
He’s not just another late-round flyer, either. An NFL executive recently told insider J.L. Canfora that Payton has real upside. The Eagles have done something similar before, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Remember Carson Wentz? Philly grabbed him with the second overall pick back in 2016, but Jalen Hurts ended up taking over. Now, some people around the league think history might repeat itself with Payton possibly replacing Hurts down the road.
The executive went all in on Payton: “You know, I believe in that kid. That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie [Roseman] takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
Roseman, the guy in Philly’s front office, was a big part of the Wentz pick. He’s seen his fair share of quarterback changes over the years, and honestly, that might matter this time, too.
The executive didn’t hold back: “All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract." You can call me crazy, but I think this kid could take over from him in a few years. They did this with [Kevin] Kolb, even when [Donovan] McNabb was still there. I know how Howie thinks. This kid has a chance.”
Payton had to wait for his turn at NDSU.
Payton rolled into North Dakota State in 2021, known as a strong recruit for an FCS quarterback, straight out of Omaha.
He was supposed to be the next big thing, just like the string of successful Bison quarterbacks before him. But things didn’t break that way at first. Cam Miller, the QB ahead of him, kept stacking up wins and making a name for himself in Fargo.
Miller even beat out Quincy Patterson II, a gifted dual-threat quarterback who transferred in from Virginia Tech. After Patterson got banged up in 2021, Miller took over, steered the team to a national championship, and then hung on to the starting job through 2024.
Patterson left for Temple, so Payton slid into the Bison’s running packages in a spot that Patterson had filled before. And Payton did more than just fill that role. In 2022, he ran for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. By the next year, he really took off: 615 yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 carries.
Setback, then a breakout
Payton started 2024 looking like the same kind of threat on the ground, but a shoulder injury cut his season short. He only managed 164 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries before he went down.
Finally, in 2025, his shot as the full-time starter arrived after Miller left for the NFL draft, drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round. Payton made the most of it. He led NDSU to an unbeaten 12-0 regular season, completing 70% of his passes for 2,719 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four picks. And he still ran wild, with 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Now, he’s got a fresh chance in Philadelphia. If you ask people around the league, he’s not just there to hold a clipboard. They're watching to see what happens next.
_1777814568.webp)
