Padres name A.J. Preller Executive Vice President/General Manager
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres today announced that A.J. Preller has been named executive vice president/general manager. Lead Investor Peter Seidler, Executive Chairman Ron Fowler and President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Dee made the announcement.
Preller, 37, joins the Padres as the 10th general manager in franchise history. He comes to San Diego from the Texas Rangers, where he most recently served as assistant general manager.
"Padres ownership is thrilled to welcome A.J. Preller to the Padres family," said Seidler. "His balance of experience, knowledge and energy makes him the ideal person to lead our baseball operations as we work to build a consistent winner in San Diego."
"I am extremely impressed with the quality of candidates who interviewed for this position," said Fowler. "I believe that the comprehensive and thorough search process led by Mike Dee has brought us to the best match for our club in A.J. Preller."
As assistant general manager, Preller was responsible for overseeing the Rangers' player development and scouting departments as well as serving as a key advisor on all player acquisitions. Preller was a central figure in the group that has spearheaded the Rangers efforts to upgrade the talent level throughout the organization's system, playing an instrumental role in the construction and organization of the Rangers' development program in the Dominican Republic. He previously served as a senior director of player personnel for the Rangers from 2010-13, where he oversaw professional, international and amateur scouting. Prior to joining the Rangers, Preller spent three years in the baseball operations department of the Los Angeles Dodgers, working with the professional, amateur and international scouting departments.
"It's an honor to have been selected for this position," said Preller. "I'm grateful for the faith Peter, Ron and Mike have shown in me. I'm looking forward to meeting our baseball operations staff and getting right to work, with the goal of building a championship organization for San Diego."
A native of Huntington Station, N.Y., Preller graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cornell University in 1999. He began his baseball career with an internship for the Philadelphia Phillies before working for Major League Baseball for two years, aiding Hall of Famer Frank Robinson in several areas and working closely with the Labor Relations Department on salary arbitration issues.
