ASSOCIATED PRESS

After a couple rough years early in his tenure, A.J. Preller has built the San Diego Padres into a consistent contender. Preller was rewarded for those efforts Monday, agreeing to a long-term extension with the franchise, the team announced.

The finances and length of Preller's contract were not disclosed. Unlike player contracts, front-office deals aren't always made public. 

Preller called San Diego a special place, and said he was excited to bring a championship to the city in a statement. 

"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.”

Prior to the extension, Preller was set to enter 2026 with only one year left on his contract. When asked about Preller's status Sunday, multiple Padres players showed support for the team's general manager. Both Manny Machado and Michael King went to bat for Preller, with King saying he re-signed with the Padres due to Preller. 

The Padres were always expected to work out a new deal with Preller, who was hired in 2014. In October, team CEO Erik Greupner said he was optimistic Preller would be the teams' general manager beyond the 2026 MLB season. It may have taken a few months for both sides to work out the particulars, but Greupner's comments turned out to be accurate.

Preller engaged in a pretty lengthy rebuild upon taking over as the team's general manager. The Padres failed to make the playoffs in Preller's first five seasons with the team. But the team made strides during that period, trading for Fernando Tatis Jr. and signing Machado to a massive 11-year, $350 million contract. 

Both moves helped the Padres hop back into contention. Since 2020, the team has made the playoffs in four of the past six seasons. Making deep postseason runs in October, however, has proven difficult. The Padres advanced to the NLCS just once in those four chances, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in 2022. 

During his tenure with the Padres, Preller has emerged as a general manager who is willing to make bold moves. In addition to signing Machado, Preller also spent $280 million on shortstop Xander Bogaerts. He's also traded for Blake Snell and Juan Soto during the team's recent run. Preller later traded Soto to the New York Yankees once it became clear the Padres wouldn't be able to re-sign the outfielder. 

Compared to those moves, it was a relatively uneventful offseason for Preller and the Padres. The team's biggest move was bringing King back, though recent additions like German Marquez and Nick Castellanos could also help. 

The Padres could certainly use one more addition or two, as the team is projected to win 80.7 games this season, per Baseball Prospectus. That would put the Padres right on the cusp of the postseason, but not firmly in a playoff spot. Based on how Preller has approached previous seasons, the Padres can rest easy knowing he won't sit idly by if the playoffs are still within grasp as the season progresses. Over the years, Preller has shown he'll make the big move if it will give the Padres a shot at a title.