Top Padres Stories of 2014

The December of Preller

Oct 7, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Matt Kemp hits a single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning during game four of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Part of the reason Preller coming to San Diego was such a huge story is the moves he’s made. The winter started off with the Padres missing out on Yasmany Tomas and Pablo Sandoval. It looked like it’d be another offseason filled with rumors and very little results.

Thankfully Preller is committed to winning and he showed that starting at the end of the Winter Meetings. As the Winter Meeting finished, the Padres reached an agreement to acquire Matt Kemp. It was a deal that sent shock waves throughout baseball and was met with tons of praise. The Padres finally had a legitimate hitter that Bud Black could pencil into the lineup everyday.

Obviously one man can’t change the offense, and Preller knew that too, so he went out and acquired two more outfielders to go along with Kemp in Wil Myers and Justin Upton. Not wanting to stop there, he also acquired All-Star catcher, Derek Norris.

The Padres went from a lineup without any heavy hitters, to one with 4. While those were the biggest names Preller acquired they weren’t the only ones. Will Middlebrooks, Clint Barmes, Shawn Kelley, Brandon Morrow and Brandon Morrow all figure to make an impact on this team in 2015.

It was incredible to see the Padres seemingly go from a team that was an afterthought to the casual fan, to the talk of the town overnight. Whether or not this all works, A.J. Preller did make this team relevant and that counts for something.