After a couple of rough years early in his tenure, A.J. Preller has built the San Diego Padres into a consistent contender. He was rewarded for those efforts Monday, agreeing to a long-term extension with the franchise, the team announced.
The finances and length of Preller’s contract were not disclosed. Unlike player contracts, front-office deals aren’t always made public.
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Preller called San Diego a special place and said in a statement that he is excited to bring a championship to the city.
“San Diego is a special place, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made over the last decade while knowing there’s still more work to be done. I’m excited for the Padres’ future and fully committed to bringing a championship to our fans and this city.”
Prior to the extension, Preller was set to enter 2026 with one year left on his contract. When asked about his status Sunday, multiple Padres players showed support for the team’s general manager. Both Manny Machado and Michael King went to bat for Preller, with King saying he re-signed with the Padres due to Preller.
The Padres were always expected to work out a new deal with Preller, who was hired in 2014. In October, team CEO Erik Greupner said he was optimistic Preller would be the team’s general manager beyond the 2026 MLB season. It might have taken a few months to work out the particulars, but Greupner’s comments turned out to be accurate.
Preller engaged in a pretty lengthy rebuild upon taking over as GM. The Padres failed to make the playoffs in his first five seasons with the team. But the team made strides during that period, trading for Fernando Tatis Jr. and signing Machado to an 11-year, $350 million contract.
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Both moves helped the Padres get back into contention. Since 2020, the team has made the playoffs in four of six seasons. Making deep postseason runs in October, however, has proven difficult. The Padres advanced to the NLCS just once in those four chances, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in 2022.
During his tenure with the Padres, Preller has built a reputation as a general manager who is willing to make bold moves. In addition to signing Machado, he spent $280 million on shortstop Xander Bogaerts. He has also traded for Blake Snell and Juan Soto. Preller later traded Soto to the New York Yankees once it became clear the Padres wouldn’t be able to re-sign the outfielder.
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Compared to those moves, it was a relatively uneventful offseason for Preller and the Padres. The team’s biggest move was bringing King back, though recent additions such as Griffin Canning and Nick Castellanos could prove impactful.
The Padres could certainly use one more addition or two, as the team is projected to win 80.7 games this season, per Baseball Prospectus. That would put the Padres on the cusp of the postseason but not firmly in a playoff spot. Based on how Preller has approached previous seasons, the Padres can be confident he won’t sit idly by if the playoffs are within grasp as the season progresses.
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