SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A.J. Preller will be wheeling and dealing for the Padres for another few years as the organization on Monday announced a multi-year contract extension for the President of Baseball Operations/General Manager.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed; Preller's contract was reportedly set to expire at the end of the 2026 season.
“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. 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 said in a statement.
Padres Chairman John Seidler added, “A.J.’s skill and relentless commitment to winning have positioned the Padres for sustained success, and we are pleased to extend his contract. 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.”
The 48-year-old Preller took on the role of Padres GM and executive vice president in 2014, helping build the team into playoff contenders over the past few years. He was promoted to President of Baseball Operations in 2021.
During his tenure as GM, the Padres reached the postseason in 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Known around Major League Baseball for his big swings in free agency and the trade market, Preller is the second-longest tenured GM behind Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees.
“Over his tenure, Preller has overseen the acquisition of a significant level of talent through various channels. He signed marquee free agents, including Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Ha-Seong Kim, Robert Suarez and Nick Pivetta, and executed trades netting a talent haul of 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, among others. Under his direction, the amateur scouting department has drafted several consensus top prospects, including Jackson Merrill, MacKenzie Gore, C.J. Abrams, James Wood, Ryan Weathers and Cal Quantrill, while the international scouting staff signed Adrian Morejon, Ethan Salas and Leo DeVries,” the Padres stated.
