By SDCN Staff
The San Diego Padres have agreed to a multiyear contract extension with President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller, Chairman John Seidler announced Monday.
Seidler praised Preller’s leadership and commitment to building a competitive franchise.
“A.J.’s skill and relentless commitment to winning have positioned the Padres for sustained success, and we are pleased to extend his contract,” 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.”
Preller said he is grateful for ownership’s support and remains focused on delivering a title to the city.
“I’m incredibly grateful to John, Erik Greupner, and our ownership group for their continued trust in me and the vision we have for this organization,” Preller said. “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.”
Preller, 48, joined the Padres on Aug. 6, 2014, as executive vice president and general manager. He is the second-longest-tenured head of baseball operations in Major League Baseball, behind Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees, who has led the club’s baseball operations since 1998. Preller was promoted to president of baseball operations in February 2021.
Under his leadership, the Padres have reached the postseason in four of the past six seasons (2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025), ending a 14-year playoff drought in 2020. The team has posted 90 or more wins in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history, winning 93 games in 2024 and 90 in 2025. The club also set attendance records at Petco Park in each of the past three seasons.
During his tenure, Preller has overseen a series of high-profile acquisitions. The Padres signed free agents, including Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Ha-Seong Kim, Robert Suarez, and Nick Pivetta.
The organization also completed trades that brought in players such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove, Josh Hader, Jake Cronenworth, Luis Arraez, Michael King, Dylan Cease, Tanner Scott, Jason Adam, Mason Miller, Ramon Laureano and Freddy Fermin.
Through the draft, the Padres selected top prospects including Jackson Merrill, MacKenzie Gore, C.J. Abrams, James Wood, Ryan Weathers, and Cal Quantrill. International signings under his watch include Adrian Morejon, Ethan Salas, and Leo DeVries.
