When the job was finished, five deals involving 22 players were executed in six hours, AJ Preller’s companion called him everything from “crazy” to “genius,” a division that suited the most polarized executives in Major League Baseball.
In the time between West Coast breakfast and lunch, San Diego Padres' crazy general manager Preller acquired eight players and broke up with 14 players. He got another influential talent (star close-up Mason Miller) and inserted every imaginable hole into his roster, but he also got 11 potential clients from a sagging farm system (including its best) (Faststop Leo de Vries). He puts the 2025 Padres in par with the best teams in the sport, including rival Los Angeles Dodgers, but he may also hurt the years ahead.
Preller then recalled the lines he contacted Billy Beane, a long-time track and field executive, and became his professional idol.
“I've traded MVP Caliber players, CY Young-Caliber players, All-Star games, I'm in this chair and won a lot of games.”
This is a life before a spell. His previous prospects were spread throughout the movement, blossoming elsewhere, including Max Fried, Luis Castillo, Emmanuel Clase, Andres Munoz, David Bednar, CJ Abrams, Mackenzie Gore and James Wood. One day, 18-year-old De Vries once pulled A from A's last week, and may also be a star.
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But, like Beane’s predecessors prefer to focus on their income rather than what he gives, as well as this year’s awards, Miller, Miller and Justin Upton, Craig Kimbrel things.
“Obviously, you've been working on good deals,” Preller said. “But I think we know you have to give up on good players to attract good players. In the end, if that makes your team good now and in the future, that's a positive result.”
Four and a half years ago, preller landed Darvish, Snell and Musgrove in three weeks. Three years ago, he got Hader and Soto within two days. Last year, he received a ceasefire in four months, Aranes and Scott. This year he set up a new bar where he used the highest roster he had to turn into one of the deepest resources in the National League
Ryan O'Hearn and Ramon Laureano were two former Baltimore Orioles in the breakout season, adding a roster length that earned a major league-small .584 OPS from its 7, 8 and 9 batsmen. Underrated catcher Freddy Fermín served as the backup for Salvador Perez and Kansas City Royals, upgrading Padres' weakest position. JP Sears also obtained from A's A's, Nestor Cortes pulled from Milwaukee brewers provided mats for rotations, and can now count on healthy Yu Darvish and return Michael King freight. Miller, along with Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada and incumbent close-up Robert Suárez, formed a devastating five-man relief group that could essentially split the game into half.
The preller skillfully inserted every hole and even strengthened his strength while keeping Suarez and frontline starter Dylan, two pending free agents who are widely expected to be collateral. He did it all while barely increasing the payroll, if anything, a bigger factor amid the death of the late owner Peter Seidler in November 2023.
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A close to preller called it a “excellent performance” and pointed out that seven of the eight players he received (except O'Hearn) could control the season. Sears, Fermín and most notably Miller, who didn't qualify for free agents until after the 2029 season, both are in the pre-election stages of their careers. However, another competitor's front desk member described the De Vries deal as “massive gambling” with “potentially devastating” long-term consequences, especially Miller's history of arm problems.
Preller's willingness to move his intentions illustrates his natural boldness, and also believes that the priests can continue to draft and develop influence talents.
This also illustrates urgency.
Some of the most high-profile players in Padres – Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Darvish – are all in their 30s. The World Series champion continued to evade the 56-year-old franchise. The Dodgers are their permanent chasing team, once again at their fingertips, with six games left later this month.
Padres soared to 14-3 in the season, winning a failed record in May and June before correcting himself again in July. When the trade deadline arrived, they sat 3½ games on the final wildcard seat, with three Dodgers defenders ranked first in the division.
At that time, it seemed like there were four teams not long ago that the NL West had been cut by two legitimate contenders. The Arizona Diamondbacks were unable to overcome their pitching injuries and traded a handful of notable free agents by the deadline. The San Francisco Giants quickly disappeared and divested their contract after they acquired Rafael Devers in a rare June blockbuster. Meanwhile, the Dodgers stepped up their deadline in their worst period in years, suffering 14 losses in the July 24 game and responded with a margin move.
Brock Stewart, a much-needed high-leverage rescuer who has been dominant against right-handed batsmen, while Alex Call, a well-received outfielder for his plate discipline, constitutes two useful free pieces. But the Dodgers don't have a greater talent – most notably Cleveland Guardian outfielder Steven Kwan, who wasn't moving, Minnesota twins' unifying device Man Griffin Jax, who went to Tampa Bay Rays – because they were reluctant to part with their best prospects. Despite having one of the industry's most powerful farm systems, their reluctance.
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Padres did the opposite, standing out from the thinnest system of the sport. Several assessors said that given how the Boy Scouts seem to have deteriorated for 19-year-old catcher Ethan Salas.
“He's asked in every trade,” Preller said. “He's a really good player; he's a huge prospect. We won't do it unless we get right.”
Padres found the right fit for Miller, who reconnaissed as an amateur at the 2021 draft, and Preller still lamented his escape. He remembers receiving him in a pre-workout at Petco Park and asking if he would cut the expected draft slots. Instead, Miller entered the A's system in the third round, spreading through their system, spraining his ulnar collateral ligament, moving from the starter to the relief inning and becoming one of the game's recent power directors, not to mention its hardest thrower. Miller's era has changed from 2.49 in 2024 to 3.66 in 2025, but some basic indicators show that he is equally dominant.
“A few years ago, he probably should have been Padre.”
He is now a Padre, and the acquisition has caused varying degrees of shock, frustration and miracle among the other 29 team members. But for Paders, “It's exciting,” Preller said. This time last year, preller strengthened the bullpen that was already a kind of strength, and then watched a mediocre Padres group take another level, rising 34-18 in August and September games, looking like one of the best, deepest teams in the majors entering October. The Dodgers rally to beat them in five NL divisional series before publicly praising Paders as the best team they faced when they won the championship.
A disordered offseason, filled with huge holes at cheap conditions, and then the first four months of the first four months highlighted the obvious vulnerability.
Now, Paders has life again.
“I feel like we’re making our club better,” Preller said. “We look forward to seeing how we’re here in the last few months.”