My San Diego Padres Mea Culpa

Trade deadline, trade deadline went. Too much to analyze even for me. The results won’t be fully known for a couple of years, given the number of prospects that were moved and the final pitch of the 2024 season over three months away. One team that made a flurry of moves in an attempt to finally get to the World Series was the San Diego Padres. As I glanced at my phone to see the update that the Padres acquired Tanner Scott, I thought, “Wow, way to go for it”. And then, it hit me.

I need to give A.J. Preller, the chief baseball guy in San Diego, a lot of credit.

My kids and friends will tell you that for years, I have always thought Preller’s decisions were overrated. Year after year, we would hear how the Padres won the offseason and that they were poised for bigger things. Year after year they would disappoint experts and more importantly, their fans. Then, in 2022, after acquiring Juan Soto and Josh Bell, they finally broke through and made the National League Championship Series. In the following offseason, they added Xander Bogarts and got Fernando Tatis, Jr back from suspension. Yet, the Padres flopped and missed the playoffs in 2023. Before the 2024 campaign started, they traded Soto and lost Cy Young winner Blake Snell to free agency. Despite the misfortune, San Diego has been in prime playoff position all season. I’ve come to the realization that Preller has done an excellent job keeping his team relevant and consistently drafting well, allowing him to make bold trades like the ones orchestrated at this year’s trading deadline. For a good portion of my baseball life the Padres have been a below average franchise. With Preller at the helm, San Diego (with ownership’s commitment to higher payrolls), is becoming a more desirable place to play.

It is not easy to admit you are wrong. Once in a while, I was guilty of rooting against the San Diego Padres just to show people I was right. That was foolish of me. I should have respected the work A.J. Preller put in to making the Padres a good baseball organization. I won’t let that happen again. Hats off to A.J. Preller and I hope he sticks around to lead San Diego for another ten years.

Author: Tom Lynch

Family is everything to me. Baseball is a close second. What better way to combine my two favorite passions than to write about them! My three children each have a different baseball team, hence the title, "Three Unassisted". I write about not only my thoughts but also the musings of Ryan (Yankees), Caitlyn (Phillies) and Matthew (Mets). I may have grown up a Yankees fan but since family is greater than ball, I also root for the Phillies and Mets. I love talking about my kids. I love talking about baseball. That lethal combination will keep you coming back for more. Happy reading! View all posts by Tom Lynch