The Padres are a franchise that have seen legends like Tony Gwynn Sr., Dave Winfield and Ozzie Smith all wear their jersey. In recent years, such players as Adrian Gonzalez, Jake Peavy, and Trevor Hoffman have all worn a Padres uniform. Now, a new wave of potential stars will be in blue and beige for the 2015 MLB season, players like Wil Myers, Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, Josh Johnson, Brandon Morrow, Will Middlebrooks, and Derek Norris, all thanks to one man, new general manager A.J. Preller.
A.J. Preller, 37, had spent the last 11 seasons as the Texas Rangers assistant general manager before heading to the Padres, and is a Cornell graduate. In his short tenure as general manager, Preller has already gone out and acquired some big names, in hopes of competing with the other National League West powerhouses, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants.
2015 will be the Padres’ 47th season in existence and they’ll look to make the playoffs for just the sixth time in franchise history. They’ve appeared in two World Series, in 1984 and 1998, and haven’t made the playoffs since 1996. They also haven’t posted a winning season since 2010, something that with this new revamped roster, looks to change. With all of this in mind, A.J. Preller has a lot on his plate, but seems to have it under control.
Here’s how the revamped roster came to be:
Trades:
December 18, 2014- The Los Angeles Dodgers send two-time All-Star and MVP runner-up, outfielder Matt Kemp as well as catcher Tim Federowicz to the Padres for catcher Yasmani Grandal, and pitchers Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin.
December 18, 2014- The Oakland Athletics send All-Star catcher Derek Norris and pitcher Seth Streich to the Padres for pitchers Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alvarez
December 19, 2014- The Atlanta Braves send two-time All-Star outfielder Justin Upton and pitcher Aaron Northcraft to the San Diego Padres for infielder Jace Peterson, Dustin Peterson, pitcher Max Fried, and outfielder Mallex Smith.
December 19, 2014- The Red Sox trade third baseman Will Middlebrooks to the Padres for catcher Ryan Hanigan
December 19, 2014- As part of a three-team deal, the Padres acquire former rookie of the year, outfielder Wil Myers, catcher Ryan Hanigan, and pitchers Gerardo Reyes and Jose Castillo, all from Tampa Bay. The Padres then send catcher Rene Rivera, first baseman/designated hitter Jake Bauers, and pitcher Burch Smith to the Rays. The Nationals are the third team, and received Joe Ross (Tyson’s brother) and a player to be named later from San Diego, but sent nothing to the Padres.
FA Signings:
December 16, 2014- Former 5th overall pick and K/BB leader, starting pitcher Brandon Morrow agrees to terms on a one-year, $2.5 million deal, with up to $6 million in incentives.
December 22, 2014- Two-time All-Star and former NL ERA champion, pitcher Josh Johnson agrees to terms on a one-year deal worth $1 million, but is likely to be worth more because of incentives for Games Started, and could reach up to $6.25 million.
The reality is that A.J. Preller’s moves have come in response to the Dodgers recent acquisitions, and the Giants recent success with the hopes of competing with these two clubs, and it just might work. The Padres roster was mediocre at best and now they are poised to contend in the National League, thanks to Preller. Kemp, Myers, Morrow and Johnson are injury-prone, and making so many moves of such a big caliber puts them in the spotlight. Only time will tell whether Preller is a hero or a zero.
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