Dodgers stealing Padres' front office exec might not be end of their offseason pillaging

The Los Angeles Dodgers made a quiet but far from insignificant addition to their front office on Monday, when Bob Nightengale reported they had hired San Diego Padres Chief Operating Officer Caroline Perry away from their division rivals to become LA's executive vice president and COO under Stan Kasten. She replaces longtime COO Bob Wolfe, who is retiring.

Fans tend to take it badly when a player goes from the Dodgers to the Padres or vice versa, but this particular poaching should be hitting San Diego fans hard. Perry worked for the Padres for 16 years, the highest-ranking female employee in the franchise's history. This is someone who can actually influence the direction an organization is headed in.

If this marks the beginning of a Padres-to-Dodgers pipeline, San Diego's in trouble.

Having Perry in the front office could certainly work to the Dodgers' advantage, should they want to tempt any Padres free agents over this offseason. Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors already predicted LA will end up with longtime Padres setup man Adrian Morejon on a five-year, $80 million deal.

Dodgers hiring Caroline Perry away from the Padres could lead to another longtime Friar in Adrian Morejon joining LA

The Dodgers lost a number of relievers to free agency, including staples Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen. Rebuilding it could involve bringing either or both back into the fold, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Dodgers pivot in the name of upgrading.

Morejon is, by MLBTR's ranking, the best reliever available. The Padres extended the qualifying offer to him — one year, $23.15 million — but at just 27 years old, in a weak market, Morejon might prefer to test his luck on the market before the December 1 lockout. There certainly wouldn't be a lack of suitors.

Five years and $80 million, a $16 million AAV, would still make Morejon more affordable than either Tanner Scott or Edwin Díaz, and he was better than both of them in 2026 — 2.83 ERA in 86 innings, making him a true bullpen workhorse.

Morejon has spent his entire professional career with the Padres. That might make him a little more inclined to take the QO, or to give San Diego first priority in his fully-fledged free agency, but Perry's departure had to have an at least slightly destablizing effect on the Padres' front office. She's in Dodgers territory now, so why not Morejon join her?

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