The Padres Need to Move On from AJ Preller

Despite all the World Series hype surrounding the San Diego Padres, they have been the most disappointing team in baseball this season. The team lost nobody of importance from last season’s NLCS team. Despite spending an estimated $248,995,932 on the MLB roster, San Diego sits in fourth place in the NL West only ahead of the Colorado Rockies. All the issues surrounding this team seem to point back to general manager AJ Preller. I believe the Padres need new leadership in the front office and must move on from Preller.

Poor Track Record

Since AJ Preller has been the GM, the Padres have a record of 631-725 with two appearances in the postseason. One appearance happened during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Their best season with AJ Preller running the baseball operation came in 2022 when San Diego went to the NLCS. However, under Preller, San Diego has never won the NL West and both playoff appearances came as a Wild Card team. On any other team except maybe the White Sox, a GM that has brought those results for the money that they have been able to spend often is let go.

High Expectations Yet a Serious Let Down of a Season

This offseason, the Padres lost nobody important from last season’s NLCS team. They even added Xander Bogaerts, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and more during free agency. There was a lot of “World Series or bust” hype surrounding the San Diego Padres. With the amount of talent returning and the players they added, many people predicted that San Diego would win their first World Series. However, the season unfolded like no Padre fan could imagine.

This isn’t the first time that San Diego has come into a season with high expectations and underperformed. Despite having a roster that features Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Blake Snell, Josh Hader, Joe Musgrove, and more, the Friars have been a letdown. Over $248,995,932 has been put into this roster and yet San Diego can’t even achieve a record above .500. The only team trailing San Diego in the standings is the Rockies.

San Diego Has Had Four Different Managers Under Preller

During his time as the GM, Preller has hired four different managers including current skipper Bob Melvin. Reportedly, the relationship between Preller and Melvin is in turmoil. A front office should be able to have a working relationship with the manager it hires. If not, then they’ve hired the wrong guy to lead the club on the field. Preller has been allowed to hire more managers than the average GM is typically allowed before losing their job. The fact that Preller has been unable to find the right person to lead the club on the field shows that the problem lies with him.

Poor Decision to Be a Buyer This Year

Despite having very little hope of winning the division or securing a playoff spot, Preller opted to be a buyer at the deadline. He acquired Rich Hill, Ji Man Choi, Garrett Cooper, and Scott Barlow, hardly impactful players. The Padres need more organizational depth, they had the opportunity to trade soon-to-be free agents like Blake Snell and Josh Hader to fill that need. However, Preller opted to keep them both in hopes of getting back into the postseason race. Due to that bad miscalculation, Hader and Snell will most likely leave in free agency for nothing in return.  

New Front Office Leadership Is Needed

In Padres owner Peter Seidler’s world, it seems that whenever the team does poorly it is the manager’s fault. However, the GM is responsible for the overall infrastructure of baseball operations. Preller has been living a general manager’s dream in terms of the number of resources that have been provided to him. However, all the problems in the organization go back to Preller. AJ Preller has had more than enough time to try to build a winning team in San Diego. Given all the issues surrounding the team, new leadership is needed in the Padres front office.

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