Did the Padres' Turnaround Save AJ Preller's Job?

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 9, 2024

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The difference one year can make is incredible.

It also might have saved president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller's job.

Preller ended any speculation about his future with the San Diego Padres after slashing the payroll by $90 million and fielding a dramatically improved team in 2024, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

The contrast between this year and last year is stark.

Last year, The Athletic interviewed "more than two dozen current and former Padres employees and others in baseball, almost all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity in exchange for their candor, revealed deep cultural issues that start near the top of the organization and, in some cases, filter down to the players."

What they discovered was a dysfunctional front office that trickled down to the field.

One player told The Athletic that the 2023 season was an “institutional failure.” The dysfunction behind the scenes affected the team as the season unfolded like a nightmare. The Padres missed the postseason altogether despite fielding the highest payroll in franchise history.

“You can argue he’s one of the best talent evaluators ever in the game,” a former Padres player told The Athletic. “But just because you can evaluate talent doesn’t mean you know how to handle people.”

That had to sting — but it also had to be said. Whether it came a direct response to the criticism he caught in the media or not, Preller has turned things around in the front office and on the field.

Preller traded away 12 of his top 15 prospects during the season and went all-in at the trade deadline.

As a result, he built the best bullpen in baseball by acquiring relievers Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing from the Marlins and Jason Adam from the Rays.

With few star-level players changing teams at the deadline, relief pitchers were arguably the most prudent acquisitions available to a contending team. The Padres have turned any early lead into a six-inning game as a result of their new acquisitions

Entering Saturday, San Diego was 23-11 since the trade deadline and a major-league-best 31-13 since the All-Star break. This season, they are 60-8 when scoring at least five runs, the best record in MLB.

To compare, San Diego's 6-22 record in one-run games and 0-11 mark in extra-inning games both are the worst in the majors last season.

Preller had to learn his lesson the hard way with some tough love.

“I think A.J. is not great at recognizing the culture cost of him putting his finger on the thumb of the coaching staff,” a former team executive told The Athletic.

Preller took that negativity and rebuilt the clubhouse based on culture and in return, the Padres are thriving and are looking a postseason in the eyes as the season winds down.