A.J. Preller Gets Extended By The Padres

By Steve Atkinson 

A.J. Preller, the San Diego Padres’ general manager, has agreed to a contract extension. A deal had to be done before games started, so it’s good to get it out of the way. The Padres, who have been busy this weekend signing two players, have locked up their general manager for many years to come. The Padres signed Nick Castellanos, who was just released by the Phillies, and pitchers German Marquaez and Griffin Canning. I still thought they should’ve hired Albert Pujols as manager, but they went with Craig Stammen instead.

The Padres Extend A.J. Preller

Padres Chairman John Seilder made the announcement about the  A.J. Preller extension.

We have positioned the Padres for sustained success, and we are pleased to extend his contract,” said Seidler. “Under his guidance, our organization has continued to invest in elite talent at both the major and minor league levels while building a strong baseball operations, scouting and player development group. We are confident he will continue to tirelessly pursue the first World Series Championship for San Diego.”

Preller responded by saying

I’m incredibly grateful to John, Erik Greupner and our ownership group for their continued trust in me and the vision we have for this organization,” said Preller. “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.”

A.J. Preller has done well with the Padres, but I still don’t know whether he should’ve hired Albert Pujols instead as manager. If you wanted a manager to relate to the players, I would think Pujols would be the guy. But the players seem glad Preller is back.

It’s awesome. I don’t know anyone that loves this organization and cares about this organization, cares about this franchise, players in this clubhouse, more than that person,” Manny Machado said

“I don’t think it’s any of us BS-ing when we speak about A.J. He’s just genuine. He’s truthful to the players, and it’s awesome to see that he’s going to be here. We all believe in him.

It’s about time. I’m really happy. He’s our guy. If somebody deserves it, it’s totally him. We have been on this journey together,” Fernando Tatis Jr.