San Diego Padres: 4 worst moves by A.J. Preller since 2014

San Diego Padres: 4 worst moves by A.J. Preller since 2014

3. Firing manager Bud Black midway through the 2015 season

Sensing a theme with this 2015 season? It didn't go well for the Padres.

One of the mistakes A.J. Preller made that season wasn't player-related, though. Rather, it was the decision to fire veteran manager Bud Black in June.

Black never qualified for the postseason as Padres' skipper, but he is a respected figure in MLB and landed on his feet within two years after he was canned from San Diego, landing the manager's gig with the Colorado Rockies in 2017. Black is still serving as Rockies' skipper, and as much as Colorado has struggled since back-to-back playoff appearances, he isn't the one to blame for that. Nor was he really to blame for San Diego's misfortune in 2015.

The main culprit behind the lack of success for the Padres in 2015? Poor roster construction. A scapegoat is always necessary, though, and Black. unfortunately, was ripe for picking.

After Black was fired, the Padres employed Andy Green and Jayce Tingler as their next two managers before finally landing Bob Melvin prior to the 2022 season. It's safe to say neither of Green or Tingler worked out too well. Perhaps the Padres should've just retained Black...