Padres Agree to Multi-Year Extension With AJ Preller

Padres Agree to Multi-Year Extension With AJ Preller
Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images

The San Diego Padres have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with current President of Baseball Operations and General Manager AJ Preller.

There had been a long delay between now and the end of the 2025 postseason regarding Preller’s extension. Some believed that perhaps it meant this would be his final year with the club. However, the Padres are undergoing a massive transformation with recent news of an imminent sale, and roster moves are still happening.

Of the hiring, the Padres Chairman John Siedler said, “AJ ‘s skill and relentless commitment to winning have positioned the Padres for sustained success, and we are pleased to extend his contract.”

That said, it’s unknown how long this new contract stands for.

Preller was initially hired by the Padres in 2014. This is his third extension with the team, following his most recent one that came in 2021. He is the second-longest tenured head of baseball operations in Major League Baseball behind the New York Yankees’ Brian Cashman.

Preller’s History

If you can name it, Preller has probably done it. Outside of his obvious skill and knowledge, he isn’t afraid to get creative when push comes to shove. His creativity largely built the franchise that the Padres are today.

In his first year with the club, he swung for the fences, acquiring 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers in a three-team trade.

Two years later, he devised another deal with the Chicago White Sox for two prospects in exchange for pitcher James Shields. One of those prospects was Fernando Tatis Jr., who sees Preller as a father figure.

Three years later, Preller is now responsible for what was, at the time, the largest free agent signing in baseball history, giving Manny Machado a 10-year, $300 million contract.

Preller has become famous or infamous, depending on how you look at it, for his extremely aggressive trade strategy. While it’s nothing new for the mastermind, it’s certainly become a talking point post-Juan Soto trade. It’s raised concern over the Padres’ slowly deteriorating farm system. However, each time it’s been culled, they’ve consistently built it back up.

At the 2025 trade deadline, Preller took perhaps his biggest swing yet, trading away their No. 1 prospect to the Athletics in return for flamethrower Mason Miller.

Miller would go on to dominate as a setup man for the Padres, posting a 0.77 ERA in 23 1/3 innings, even throwing an immaculate inning against the Baltimore Orioles. Miller is now slated to be the team’s designated closer following the departure of Robert Suarez.

With each passing season, Preller’s unwavering commitment to winning becomes more and more evident. He’s more than willing to do everything and anything he can to set up his team for success.

The Sale

The Padres are still for sale. Recently, Peter Siedler’s Widow, Sheel Siedler, dropped most of the claims in her lawsuit against his family. Following the news, the Padres could finally close in on selling the franchise.

There’s a laundry list of potential suitors floating around, but nobody has been officially confirmed as a frontrunner. Not all parties involved are publicly known, either.

Regarding the sale, John Siedler maintained that all proceedings have been robust. That said, he appeared confident a sale would come imminently. “Over the next few months, the process will come to a logical conclusion,” he said.

A potential sale was one of many things the Padres had to take care of this offseason. Several new hires and roster additions are still slowly trickling in. Many speculated that the sale wouldn’t come without first extending Preller. It would appear that with that finally out of the way, things will continue to progress at a steady pace.

The Padres are in the middle of trying to put their best product on the field. The recent signings of German Marquez, Nick Castellanos and Ty France do inspire hope. At the very least, the team looks to be in better spirits than last offseason as they head into spring training.

 

 

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