Padres News: AJ Preller Says Reports of Rift Between Him and Bob Melvin Were ‘Overblown’

Can't always trust everything you hear I guess.

Throughout the entire season for the San Diego Padres, all the talk was about how President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller and manager Bob Melvin couldn’t get along. And since the Padres ended up missing the postseason, it was expected that Melvin could be a casualty for the poor season.

However, San Diego elected to keep them both for the 2024 season and now they are tasked with figuring out what went wrong. Preller opened up about the reports regarding him and Melvin and cleared the air completely.

"A lot’s been overblown," Preller said. "There were reports we don’t speak, and we’re talking four-five times a day."

Per MLB.com

Sometimes things can be taken out of context and run with. But it did seem that the two weren’t getting along as the year went on. But now they can work together to get this team back on track. They have too much talent to waste another year, so the clock is ticking for this organization.

“A lot has been said in the last few weeks, but both he and I are very excited about the challenge of getting this group back to the postseason next year,” Preller said. “... I think just even in the last couple days, you know, you get a chance to recap and look at some different things and both of us feel really good about where things are going forward.”

Per The SD Union-Tribune

It remains to be seen what the roster will look like for next season, but the core of this team is in place. There could be some slight changes, as they look to build a more well-rounded roster to improve things.

San Diego pushed all their cards in for 2023, and it backfired in their faces. Now, they should look to increase the depth of the team and build a roster with guys who fit the culture rather than just getting stars together.

“I think Bob understands that, for my job, it’s to put the roster together. I have a ton of respect for Bob and his experiences and the way he leads our team,” Preller said. “I think we both feel that ultimately on the big-picture items, the belief in this group, the belief in this team, what we need to do to get it going forward, I think we got a chance to kind of reaffirm that in the last few days and feel really good about where … we’re moving on.”

Per The SD Union-Tribune

It seems that the Padres may have learned their lesson, but only time will tell. This offseason will be fascinating to follow, and everyone will be watching them closely.