Saturday Chat with Editor Billy Brost-Preller Is The Right Guy

Recently, MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and the MLB Network, opined about some below the radar concerns that some fellow GMs around the game of baseball had with the San Diego Padres’ recent signing of A.J. Preller to be the new general manager. Preller, prior to arriving in San Diego, was, as we all know, involved extensively in the international scouting department for the Texas Rangers.

Early in the 2000s, as the story goes, Preller was suspended for some questionable conduct while overseeing said department The original suspension was for 3 months, and the Rangers had to pay a fine of $50K. So, are you trying to tell me, that the Padres didn’t do their due diligence? After throwing a blanket on the dumpster fire that was the Josh Byrnes regime in San Diego, along with interviewing multiple candidates, eliminating them one at a time, and holding a second round of interviews with the likes of Billy Eppler, Kim Ng, Mike Hazen and Preller, you’re telling me the Padres didn’t look under every rock, every rumor, every everything before hiring their new front office leader? Nonsense.

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The Padres were so diligent in their quest to get this hiring right, to get the right person in, someone with a vision, that works with the market, the minor league system, and the future and current payroll parameters, that they had a team of three interim GMs at the helm, making trading decisions for THEIR FUTURE, instead of just hiring someone to be in place. The non-waiver trading deadline came and went. Preller came aboard a few days ago. If the Padres failed to do their homework, than they ARE THE WORST FRANCHISE IN BASEBALL, no questions asked. Again, that is nonsense to even insinuate that the concerns surrounding the suspension of Preller by MLB wasn’t addressed and answered sufficiently.

After all, the guy was in his early 20s. Remember back to those days for a minute. While we might be legally adults at that age, some of us still made some boneheaded moves in an attempt to get ahead in a job or in life. It’s a maturity issues, and now at age 36, A.J. Preller is exactly where he wants to be. Is the reaction from some rival GMs and organizations more jealousy than true concern? Here’s my thing. If you have legitimate concerns about Preller, step up, grow some stones, and put your name on the record. If it’s about protecting the game, and you know that this guy could put a black eye on the sport and the Padres as a franchise, you step up and say something.

Don’t go behind the scenes AFTER the fact, and throw tomatoes. All that does is make you look like a whiney, jealous, little child.