Padres News: AJ Preller Addresses Team Mindset Amid Struggles

Padres president isn't too worried about his team at the moment

The San Diego Padres aren't playing like the World Series contenders we all expected them to be through a quarter of the season. As of Saturday, the team is five games under .500 and has lost their star third baseman Manny Machado for a least 10 days. Things are looking bleak for San Diego, and many fans and experts wonder what is happening with their squad. 

Players and coaches don't even know as they are just trying to fix what may be wrong. Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller addressed the media after Friday's loss, and he said if something isn't working, it's okay to switch it up.

“I think for a lot of people when they talk about preparation, it’s a question of work capacity,” Preller said. “Our staff works really hard. Our players work really hard. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a little different way to look at it at different points in the season. That’s healthy to sit back and go like, ‘Hey, maybe this message isn’t sinking in for this group.’ There’s probably gonna be more of that from our staff about finding other ways to message it or practice it or do things like that. But it’s not for lack of effort.” 

The Padres have struggled mightily this season, so maybe a change of approach could benefit the team. Preller has a point, and the team should take on that mentality. Sometimes, a team needs a little tweak, which could propel the team to where they want to go. 

Switching things up could be good for morale, and it could help the Friars in the long run. One thing is for sure, the coaching isn't the problem, especially the manager, as A.J. said he believes in his manager Bob Melvin. 

“He’s been managing a long time,” Preller said. “I have a lot of faith in him.”

Everyone seems to be safe for now; we'll see how things shake up by the trade deadline and beyond.