AJ Preller Impressing Early

AJ Preller isn’t here to play around. He didn’t want to get the GM job, sit around for a year to assess the current talent before making a move.

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Sure, some Padre fans were disappointed by a couple early swings and misses this off-season. Yet in the last week he has more than made up for it. It was clear to anyone looking at the Padres that they needed more players who could drive in runs. It was also clear they had a good, pitching-rich farm system where other teams did not. It was also clear that while the Padres have several outfielders no one wants (Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin, Will Venable) that should not stop Preller from acquiring ones that we do want.

Matt Kemp is a Padre (unless there IS something to his physical yesterday.)

Now, the rumors are coming to fruition that the Padres may be on the verge of acquiring Wil Myers, two years removed from being traded from the Royals to the Rays and winning the Rookie of the Year Award.

Yes, he regressed last season. Yes, there might be some concern though. Can we also acknowledge the fact last year was the worst of his career? The man did suffer and play through a broken wrist. That he still has several years of team control and so is NOT a significant investment risk? We’ll leave that tag to Matt Kemp. Now the Padres have an outfield of power and speed, if lacking some in defense, of Seth Smith, Kemp, Myers. If we just keep Venable or Maybin around for defensive help that works for me.

More than that, this trade shows Preller is taking swift action to address his team’s needs without mortgaging the future. The Padres DID NOT have to give up co-aces Andrew Cashner or Tyson Ross for Kemp. That left leverage for the Myers deal. This type of action was never done before by his predecessors of late and it also seems the trades are perhaps a little more thought out than even Kevin Towers trades tended to be. Preller puts the rumors all over the map, but his actions have been focused and calculated.

Bravo Preller. The question now is whether he is done – or if he has more up his sleeve for the corner infield before the umpires shout “Play Ball” in April 2015.