The San Diego Padres announced Monday that they have agreed to a multiyear extension with longtime president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, who was heading into the final year of his contract. The length of the deal was not announced, but the finalization of one put to rest questions about whether Preller would be extended with the team potentially up for sale.
Speaking from the annual spring training media availability of major league executives and managers on Wednesday, Preller said, "Ultimately, I think we're either going to do it or not." On Sunday, Padres star third baseman Manny Machado used the Nick Castellanos signing as an opportunity to push for Preller to be extended, saying: "I mean, you talk about getting a $20 million player for pennies on the dollar, I think that kind of deserves an extension for A.J."
Whether or not Machado's words had an influence, the extension has finally been agreed to.
"I'm incredibly grateful to John [Seidler], Erik Greupner and our ownership group for their continued trust in me and the vision we have for this organization," Preller said in a statement. "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."
Arguably the sport's most aggressive front office executive, Preller, 48, is heading into his 12th full season atop the Padres' baseball operations department, during which he has navigated multiple rebuilds, gone through a handful of managers and acquired a litany of stars, a list that includes Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Juan Soto, Josh Hader, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, among many others.
While in search of the first championship in San Diego history, Preller has been especially aggressive using a constantly replenishing farm system to acquire star talent, helping the Padres reach the playoffs in four of the past six years. But the team's payroll flexibility has dried up since the passing of late owner Peter Seidler in November 2023, prompting Preller to have to get creative. Over the weekend, Preller agreed to low-cost deals with Castellanos and starting pitchers German Marquez and Griffin Canning in hopes of addressing a needy lineup and rotation.
"AJ's skill and relentless commitment to winning have positioned the Padres for sustained success, and we are pleased to extend his contract," Padres chairman John Seidler said in a statement. "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."