‘A really attractive job’: A.J. Preller already receiving calls about Padres’ vacant managerial position
A.J. Preller is expected to receive an extension offer this offseason, according to sources within the Padres organization.
The Padres’ president of baseball operations, however, does not believe his contract status should have any bearing on a manager search that’s already begun.
In fact, interested parties began reaching out to Preller shortly after manager Mike Shildt announced Monday that he was walking away from the job with two years remaining on his contract.
“I think it’s a really attractive job,” Preller said in a 45-minute video conference on Tuesday. “ … Everybody talks about the atmosphere that has been created by the fans of San Diego. You get 3 1/2 million fans coming to the ballpark, year in, year out. It’s a great organization. We produce players. We put talented rosters on the field. We go to the playoffs. I think it’s the challenge of winning a World Series in a city that hasn’t done it before. We have some phenomenal players and staff.
“I can only tell you in the last few hours, you get a lot of people reaching out.”
Preller is under contract through the end of the 2026 season. He deflected specific questions about his future in San Diego, calling it a conversation “between me and ownership.”
“I love San Diego,” said Preller, who has been with the Padres since August 2014. “I enjoy the people here, feel responsible for the people that are here and really enjoy the relationships. I’m looking forward to this offseason, honestly, and the future.”
For the time being, that future includes hiring a fifth manager since Preller fired Bud Black near the midpoint of the 2015 season. His first two managerial hires, Andy Green and Jayce Tingler, were rookie managers. His last two, Bob Melvin and Shildt, were former Manager of the Year winners who decided to leave the Padres’ playoff-caliber teams with time left on their deals.
The relationship between Preller and his manager became strained to the point that Melvin left to manage his hometown Giants after the 2023 season.
On Tuesday, Preller downplayed the idea that a strained relationship had anything to do with Shildt’s exit or the idea that it’s difficult to be a manager in San Diego. In fact, Preller and Shildt were planning to get lunch in the afternoon.
“You look up and down our team, our organization, our roster, our players, we’ve got a lot of people that have been here for a long time,” Preller said. “It’s a great place to work. It’s a fun place to work. Again, it’s always demanding. That’s just the nature of high-performance sports and Major League Baseball. And again, I think we set a high bar. That’s a good thing, but it’s a collaborative environment. It’s a fun environment, and that’s why I think a lot of people have been here for a long time.
“You hear from the players all the time: This is a crown jewel. This is a destination for players.”
Will Preller’s next hire be a first-timer, or will he have a certain level of experience to match Melvin or Shildt? The Padres have no shortage of in-house options, whether it’s pitching coach Ruben Niebla, bench coach Brian Esposito or special assistants A.J. Ellis, Mark Loretta or Scott Servais. Former big-league skippers Rocco Baldelli, David Ross or Brandon Hyde would bring managerial experience to the job.
Preller said his wish list is a blank slate as he, assistant general manager Josh Stein, chief executive officer Erik Greupner and club chairman John Seidler wade into the hiring process.
“I think for us, it’s just going to be best fit, best person … who fits our group and our team,” Preller said. “We’re going to be very thorough in what we do and talk to a lot of people that come from different backgrounds and experience levels, and hopefully get somebody that’s here for a long time and leads us to a championship.”
Staff writer Kevin Acee contributed to this report.
Categories
Recent Posts
GET MORE INFORMATION
