San Diego Padres select A.J. Preller as their new general manager
By Joel Burdeos
San Diego, CA- Texas Rangers assistant GM A.J. Preller will be named as the next general manager of the San Diego Padres, according to Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal.
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Preller, 36, the senior director of player personnel and assistant general manager for the Texas Rangers, will replace Josh Byrnes, who was the Padres GM from 2010-2014 until he was fired earlier this season. Padres Sr. VP of Baseball Operations Omar Minaya and Assistant GMs AJ Hinch & Fred Uhlman, Jr. handed the duties on an interim basis the past month.
Preller emerged as the favorite is his expertise in evaluating international talent. Which is an area of talent the Padres have failed to be aggressive in acquiring for the past decade. It has been reported that the Padres ownership were looking for a new GM that is expertised in player development and international scouting. Two areas that a team like the Padres need to be successful in if they want to compete with the Dodgers and Giants.
With player development and international scouting as the main area of skill Padres ownership was looking for, its no surprise Preller has been selected as the teams new GM.
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A.J. Preller was the Texas Rangers senior director of player personnel from 2010-2013 and was promoted by Rangers general manager Jon Daniels to Assistant general manager last offseason. A.J. Preller is now the youngest general manager in major league baseball. Preller is considered one of baseball’s best evaluators of international talent.
"A.J. Preller was one of the chief architects of the Rangers’ farm transformation in his previous roles as International Scouting Director and Director of Player Personnel, overseeing and executing the signings of Jurickson Profar and Rougned Odor, and procuring Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz via trade. Known as one of the best all-around talent evaluators in the industry, particularly in the Latin American market. Via-Baseball America"