Is A.J. Preller’s Time Running Out With the Padres?

The San Diego Padres have had a mediocre offseason. While they’ve held onto their superstar core of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, they lost star pitcher Dylan Cease, All-Star closer Robert Suarez and All-Star first baseman Ryan O’Hearn.

The Padres did retain starting pitcher Michael King on a three-year, $75 million contract and added Korean star Sung-Mun Song on a four-year, $15 million deal.

Keeping King is encouraging, and there’s hope Song can replicate free-agent Luis Arraez’s production at the plate while offering more defensive versatility. Still, the reality is that San Diego will come out of the offseason worse.

Cease was one of only two Padres pitchers last season to throw more than 150 innings, and losing him has added multiple question marks to the rotation. As currently constructed, J.P. Sears is expected to be a full-time starter - a concerning outlook given his 5.47 ERA and 6.18 FIP in 24.2 innings with the Padres last year.

That leads to a difficult question: could A.J. Preller’s time in San Diego be nearing its end?

Moving on from Preller would be a tough pill to swallow for Padres fans. He took over one of the worst organizations in sports in 2014 and helped transform it into a destination for superstar talent. The Padres contended for playoff spots nearly every season and energized the fan base with blockbuster trades and signings.

At the same time, much of that success coincided with ownership’s increased willingness to spend. General managers don’t control payroll limits - ownership does. Still, Preller deserves credit for executing those deals once given the green light.

Now, however, he may have backed himself into a corner. Ownership revealed at the start of the offseason that it planned to maintain the same payroll level as 2025. That allowed San Diego to retain some talent, but the club has already reached that threshold.

Years of aggressiveness may finally be catching up to him. The Padres have a fan base that expects contention and a roster built to win, yet the 2026 outlook is shaky. With major holes in the rotation, limited lineup depth and a lack of power - combined with significant upgrades by other National League contenders - missing the postseason is becoming a real possibility.

If only Preller could undo the Juan Soto trade that sent James Wood, MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams - all All-Stars who would fit perfectly on the current roster - away for just 1.5 seasons of Soto.