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Padres GM Announces Trade Plans on Sunday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin M. Groe | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 3:35 PM ET

A.J. Preller was hired on August 6, 2014, as the San Diego Padres’ general manager and is now in his eleventh season at the helm. He immediately reshaped the roster with “Prellerpalooza,” trading for Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton, signing James Shields and landing Craig Kimbrel just before Opening Day.

A three-year extension followed in December 2017, and in February 2021 he was promoted to president of baseball operations through 2026.

Under his watch, the farm system ranked No. 1 in 2018, and the Padres signed franchise-record deals for Eric Hosmer ($144 million) and Manny Machado ($300 million).

On Sunday, ahead of the series finale against the Texas Rangers, Preller laid out the organization’s strategy with the trade deadline looming.

“Adding a bat or two is something we’re going to look at over the next few weeks,” he said.

The Padres seemed to have narrowed down their shopping list for the trade deadline. @Padres | #ForTheFaithful
https://t.co/iXax8hx4iO pic.twitter.com/egjLm0pZTi
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 6, 2025

Preller is renowned for his blockbuster deadline deals, none more attention-grabbing than the Padres’ August 2022 acquisition of Juan Soto. San Diego shipped a package of top prospects—shortstop CJ Abrams, lefty MacKenzie Gore and outfielder James Wood—to Washington in exchange for Soto and first baseman Josh Bell, and all three prospects blossomed into key contributors in 2025.

Preller routinely reinforces the lineup, no matter the price, to power San Diego’s playoff pushes.

This season, the Padres sit at 47–41—eight games behind the NL West–leading Dodgers and tied with the Giants for the final wild-card spot. San Diego’s offense has sputtered, ranking 22nd in MLB at just 4.1 runs per game, so adding a bat or two before the deadline remains a clear priority.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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