SAN DIEGO (AP) — General manager AJ Preller says the San Diego Padres’ offseason shopping is far from over.
While he searches for another starting pitcher and another veteran bat in the coming weeks, Preller appears confident in getting himself an extension.
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Preller, speaking at the annual Padres Fan Festival at Petco Park on Saturday, said the Padres’ relatively quiet offseason was not due to uncertainty about the club’s potential sale or the general manager’s own lame-duck contract situation.
While Preller hasn’t done much this winter besides re-signing right-hander Michael Kim and Korean infielder Song Sung-moon, he fully expects to make more moves in February.
“At this point (in the offseason), obviously you have an opportunity to get some guys that are motivated and want to be here and get some deals that we feel are right for us from a price standpoint and what we’re getting in players,” Preller said. “Hopefully we can add some guys in the next few weeks that will be a big help to us.”
Still, the Padres haven’t really fleshed out the roster that will be led by new head coach Craig Stammen this year, and the team that won 90 games last season suffered significant personnel losses.
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Reliable starter Dylan Seth signed a $210 million contract with Toronto, while All-Star closer Roberto Suarez signed a $45 million deal with Atlanta. Hits leader Luis Arraez is an unsigned free agent, while deadline acquisition slugger Ryan O’Hearn signed with Pittsburgh. Veteran starter Darvish will miss the entire season with an elbow injury that could end his career.
Preller has been making aggressive moves against the NL West powerhouse Dodgers over the past few years, but he said the Padres don’t need to reduce payroll under his current budget despite the team’s uncertain ownership situation. The family of late owner Peter Seidler announced in November that they were considering selling the team.
“When you go into the offseason, we’re in a position where we need to look at all the different options,” Preller said. “Some of them have made trades and trades that will lead to salary reductions, but where we are now, we feel it’s more about adding to the club. We’re not going to have to do anything because of salary issues. It’s about getting the team out of trouble and bringing players in.”
Preller did not provide an update on his contract situation as he begins the final year of his current deal. The Padres’ top executive since 2014 has yet to renew his contract with new Padres president John Seidler.
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“The timing…I think I had a little bit of a handle on it,” Preller said. “Focusing on winning, building a team, free agency and trades, at this time of year, I’m not good at focusing on anything other than that. So I think that’s part of it. Ultimately, I think I’ve been very consistent. I’ve been very realistic when it comes to making trades and what the trades look like. A win-win deal is when everything is fair, honest and realistic, and I hope to get something done.”
But first, Preller is looking for more players.
Nick Pivetta, King and returning starter Joe Musgrove will lead the Padres’ rotation, while Randy Vazquez appears to be the favorite to lock down the other spot. Preller clearly wanted more options.
“Having Michael back means a lot, and then I think having Joe back is going to be big on and off the court,” Preller said. “Continuing to add stuff in terms of starting pitching. I think we’ll look at adding a bat, or I think it could be multiple bats, first base, DH, any relievers — those are some of the areas we’re going to address over the next few weeks.”
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San Diego also hopes to build more offense around Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill. Last October, the Padres lost to the Chicago Cubs by five runs in a three-game wild-card series, en route to their second straight World Series title against the rival Dodgers.
Finding everything on Preller’s shopping list will be difficult, but he has made solid last-minute acquisitions in the past. After all, he had added Pivetta and Seth to his staff in the previous spring training.
Tatis said he spent the offseason fixing some “mechanical” issues with his swing. The three-time All-Star believes the Padres can compete with Los Angeles if they show more “consistency.”
“We can definitely play better, higher-level baseball, and I’m looking forward to that,” Tatis said.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
