AJ Preller’s current contract with the Padres runs through the end of the 2026 season, but it appears Preller will be the team’s president of baseball operations for quite some time to come. According to “The Athletic” reporter Dennis Lin, Preller and team president John Seidler have held some negotiations on a new multi-year contract extension, and the deal may become official in the next few days. Club sources told Jeremy Lin that the team hopes Preller’s new contract will be finalized by Monday, when the team will bring in a new head coach. Craig Starman at a press conference.
The news comes as no surprise, as the Padres have enjoyed tremendous success during Preller’s 11-plus years at the helm. However, a report from Lin and Ken Rosenthal a few weeks ago cast some doubt on Preller’s long-term future in San Diego due to apparent tension between Preller and team CEO Eric Gruppner. Preller downplayed any concerns, telling Lin and Rosenthal “Eric and I have been together here ever since and enjoy a strong and productive working relationship,” although
The Padres re-signed Gruppner through the end of 2024, around the same time former head coach Mike Shildt also received a new contract covering the 2026-27 season. Curiosity arose about San Diego extending two prominent organizational figures beyond Preller’s own tenure, plus reports that Gruppner and special counsel Eric Kutsenda pushed hard for Shildt’s hiring over Preller’s reported selection Ryan Flaherty As the team’s newest head coach. Additionally, Preller’s practice of personally overseeing all aspects of the organization has drawn some criticism of micromanagement and may have been a contributing factor to the revolving door of managers’ offices during Preller’s tenure.
If Preller is indeed nearing the finish line of a new extension, it would appear that any controversy that may have existed behind the scenes has been resolved and the team will move forward with Preller and new captain Stamen leading the way, ultimately returning the Padres to the World Series. Preller’s tenure has been marked by plenty of internal drama, front-office changes, big acquisitions and rebuilds, but the end result has been a steady stream of October baseball in San Diego.
The Padres have compiled a winning record five times over the past six seasons and made the playoffs four times and are as deep as the NLCS in 2022. As a result of this string of success, San Peco stadium attendances and local television ratings were through the roof, funding a surge in former owner Peter Seidler’s payroll. Although the Padres have cut back somewhat on spending since Seidler’s death in 2023, Preller’s penchant for bold acquisitions has helped the team stay consistent with its established core (i.e. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr.) and some new faces (i.e. Mason Miller, Nick Pivetta) join the ride.
