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Padres Press Clips Friday, August 8, 2014

Article Source Author Page

From the Farm, 8/5/14:

Verbitsky, Cressley part of Northwest League Whitewash FriarWire Center 2

Preller has the Tools and Background FriarWire Center 4

From the Farm, 8/6/14: Rondon Paces Lake Elsinore FriarWire Center 6

Solarte making a new home with Padres UT San Diego Sanders 8

Minors: Liriano finishes HR shy of cycle UT San Diego Lin 11

Morning links: Evaluating Black next? UT San Diego Sanders 13

RIVALS QUESTION HIRING,

BUT PADRES BACK NEW GENERAL MANAGER Fox Sports Rosenthal 14

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From the Farm, 8/5/14: Verbitsky, Cressley part of Northwest League Whitewash By Bill Center

Pitching dominated the Northwest League All-Star Game Tuesday night as the game at PK Field in Eugene

ended in a 0-0 tie after 10 innings.

Emeralds’ right-handed closer Bryan Verbitskywalked one in a hitless inning. Right-hander Aaron

Cressley allowed a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in his scoreless innings.

Franchy Cordero played the entire game and went 1-for-4. First baseman Marcus Davis had a hit in two-at-

bats. Center fielder Auston Bousfield,second baseman Jalen Goree and catcher Miguel Del Castillo, who

finished the game at third base, were all 0-for-1.

ON THE MOVE: INF Cody Overbeck was reinstated from the Temporary Inactive List at Double-A San

Antonio, to replace C-1B Jason Hagerty, who was placed on the seven-day disabled list.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (56-62): CHIHUAHUAS 4, Reno 2 – LF Jake Goebbert (.287) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Starting RHP Donn Roach (4-4, 4.36 ERA) allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks with

four strikeouts over seven innings. LHPBobby LaFromboise (4.07) allowed two hits in a scoreless inning.

RHP Jerry Sullivan(2.59) walked the bases loaded but struck out two in a scoreless inning to get his seventh

save.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (57-58, 21-24): Arkansas 3, MISSIONS 2 (12 innings) – 3BAdam

Buschini (.232) hit a two-run homer for both of San Antonio’s runs. RF Yeison Asencio (.283) was 2-for-5

with a walk. Starting RHP James Needy (2.77) allowed two runs on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in

seven innings. RHP R.J. Alvarez(0.27) struck out one in a perfect inning.RHP John Hussey (4.14) allowed

three hits and two walks with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. RHP Josh Geer (6-11, 3.86) gave up an

unearned run on a hit with a strikeout in one inning to suffer the loss.

SINGLE-A (high) LAKE ELSINORE (63-52, 23-22): Inland Empire 9, STORM 0 – Starting RHP Colin

Rea (9-6, 3.95) allowed three runs on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts in six innings. RHP Joe

Church (5.16) struck out one in a perfect inning. RHPTony Rizzotti (27.00) allowed two runs on two hits with

a strikeout in an inning. RHPCoby Cowgill (6.82) allowed four runs on three hits and a walk in an inning.

SINGLE-A (low) FORT WAYNE (51-62, 21-23): TIN CAPS 7, Lansing 1 – CF Nick Schulz (.317) hit his fifth

homer – and third in two games – in three at-bats with three RBIs and two runs scored. SS Trea Turner (.466)

was 3-for-5 with his second homer and two RBIs. 1B Jake Bauers (.313) was 3-for-4. 2B Fernando Perez

(.283) was 2-for-5 with a RBI. Starting LHP Jeff Enloe (4-3, 2.38 ERA) allowed four hits with three strikeouts

over six shutout innings. RHP Jorge Guzman (2.25) allowed two hits with two strikeouts in an inning. RHP Eric

Yardley (3.25) allowed a run on two hits with a strikeout in two innings.

SINGLE-A (short season) EUGENE (22-29, 7-6): The Northwest League was off for its All-Star Game.

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ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (10-25): ANGELS 8, Padres 7 (13 innings) – 1B Jonas Lantigua (.245) had two

homers in five at-bats. Rehabbing SS B.J. Guinn (.800) was 3-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored.

2B Daniel Bravo (.314) was 3-for-6 with a double. CF Michael Gettys (.307) was 2-for-6 with a triple and a

RBI. RF Luis Barahona(.261) was 2-for-6 with a RBI. Starting RHP T.J. Weir (0.57 ERA) struck out one in a

perfect inning. RHP Elvin Liriano (1.52) struck out one in 1 1/3 perfect innings. RHPsTyler Wood (1.66)

and Malcom Diaz (4.26) each struck out two in two perfect innings. LHP Maxwell McNabb (0-3, 6.27)

allowed a run on two hits and four walks with a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (13-43): WHITE SOX 3, Padres 2 – 2BManuel Vizcaino (.275) was

3-for-4 with a double, a triple and a steal. LF Ronaldo Contreras (.211) was 3-for-5 with a RBI. SS Westhers

Magdaleno (.169) was 3-for-5 with a double. 2B Jose Savinon (.306) was 2-for-5 with a double and a RBI.

Starting RHP Ernesto Montas (2-4, 2.00) allowed three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts in five

innings. RHP Emmanuel Ramos (2.73) struck out one in two perfect innings.

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Preller has the Tools and Background By Bill Center

The truth about leadership is that you never know if a person is cut out for the role until they are cast into the

position.

That goes for almost every job of leadership out there – from running a restaurant to heading a Fortune 500

company to commanding an Army.

Results are the ultimate judge.

A.J. Preller has been at work as the General Manager of the Padres for a matter of hours. And if my initial read

on the Padres 10th General Manager is correct, the 37-year-old has already plunged into the job.

I have to admit, I am impressed by Preller.

I think he has all the makings of a solid General Manager.

People in the know like his acumen for his new job. They give him very high marks in the scouting and player

development, two areas that the Padres need to address and put on solid ground moving forward.

From what I have heard, few in baseball spend more hours studying players than Preller. And from what I have

been told, he knows how to process and use the information he compiles.

“This is a very smart man,” Padres Executive Chairman Ron Fowler said of Preller Wednesday afternoon after

introducing the Cornell graduate as the Padres General Manager.

But let’s face it, Preller has never been a General Manager before. He has assisted General Managers and

earned very high marks in other jobs in baseball. But this is the first time he’s fulfilled a position that he says

was on his radar as a youth.

Preller Wednesday afternoon said he had dreamed about being a General Manager since he was in elementary

school. Most kids that age are thinking about being a fireman or a cop or, yes, a ballplayer. But how many kids

say “I want to be a General Manager?”

So getting his “dream job” just didn’t happen overnight. Preller has been preparing for his new position for most

of his life.

But the question remains, can he do it? There are those out there who will tell you Preller is a demanding boss,

a workaholic who demands total commitment from his staff.

I say great.

I like the idea of the Padres being in the hands of a passionate workaholic with what appears to be the right

background for the job. If some can’t handle that, so be it.

Is Preller the demanding boss that some claim him to be?

My guess is yes. And I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. I like hard-nosed, passionate bosses who know

what they are doing . . . bosses who will be working 18 hours a day to achieve success and surround

themselves with knowledgeable people who also work hard.

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Two things struck me about Preller during our talk Wednesday.

Before taking the Padres job, Preller was scouting the Area Code Games in Long Beach for the Rangers

Tuesday. Upon reaching the decision to take the Padres job, Preller booked an overnight flight back to Dallas to

tell his bosses with the Rangers face-to-face that he was going to accept the Padres job. He then flew to San

Diego for the Wednesday press conference announcing his acceptance of the position.

Secondly, several times during our talk, Preller mentioned mistakes he had made earlier in his career. I like

leaders who are not afraid to say they’ve made mistakes in the past. Usually, they’ve learned and grown.

I think A.J. Preller has all the attributes you’d want in a general manager. Like I said, I’m impressed. I think he

has the background.

But only time will tell. That goes with any leadership role.

PADRES PUZZLER: What is the significance of Aug. 6 in Padres history?

WHAT A RELIEF: Three right-handed Padres relief pitchers – Joaquin Benoit, Blaine Boyer and Dale

Thayer recently had their earned run averages dip back under 2.00. Benoit has worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings

over his last six appearances (with a win and three saves to drop from 2.04 to a 1.75 ERA. Boyer has worked 7

2/3 scoreless innings in his last six appearances to fall from a 2.60 ERA to 1.88. And Thayer has four straight

scoreless appearances to go from 2.09 to 1.91.

LOVE TARGET FIELD: First baseman Yonder Alonso was 6-for-8 in the two games in Minneapolis with a

homer and three double. Since returning from the disabled list on July 26 (after missing 32 games on the

disabled list with tendinitis in his right wrist) Alonso is 12-for-28 (.429) with four doubles, a triple and a home

run to raise his batting average from .210 to .233.

RIVERA SLOWED, NOT STOPPED: Catcher Rene Rivera’s seven-game hitting streak (11-for-27), the

second-longest hitting streak of his career, ended Tuesday at Minnesota. He walked in both plate appearances

the following day.

MEDICA UPDATE: With a 2-for-5 Wednesday in Minnesota, first baseman-outfielderTommy Medica is hitting

.429 (18-for-42) since July 23 with two doubles, three homers, 10 RBIs and seven runs scored.

PADRES PUZZLER: On Aug. 6, 1993, the late Tony Gwynn got his 2,000th Major League hit against Colorado

at Jack Murphy Stadium. On Aug. 6, 1999, the Hall of Fame outfielder got his 3,000th career hit in Montreal.

And Aug. 6 was the birthday of Gwynn’s mother, Vandella.

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From the Farm, 8/6/14: Rondon Paces Lake Elsinore By Bill Center

Shortstop Jose Rondon, who was acquired recently from the Angels in the Huston Street trade, went 3-for-4

with a RBI and a run scored Wednesday night to help Single-A Lake Elsinore defeat Inland Empire 7-4 at The

Diamond.

Rondon is hitting .327 on the California League season.

Third baseman Gabriel Quintana (.269) was 2-for-4 with a home run. First basemanDuanel Jones (.233) was

2-for-4 with two RBIs. Designated hitter Mallex Smith (.313) was 2-for-4 with two steals. Left fielder Alberth

Martinez (.282) was 2-for-4 with a double and a steal.

Starting right-hander Rafael DePaula (2-1, 5.19 earned run average) allowed four runs on eight hits and a

walk with eight strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Right-hander Adam Cimber (2.56) pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings.

Left-hander Chris Nunn (4.03) struck out one in a perfect inning. Left-hander Brandon Alger (3.04) struck

out two in a perfect inning.

Lake Elsinore is 63-52 on the season and 23-22 in the second half.

ON THE MOVE: CF Travis Jankowski was promoted from Lake Elsinore to Double-A San Antonio. C Rodney

Daal began a rehab assignment with the Arizona Rookie Padres. RHP Matt Branham placed on San Antonio’s

seven-day disabled list.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO(56-62): The Chihuahuas were off Wednesday night.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (57-59, 21-25): ARKANSAS 6, Missions 3 – 2B Cory Spangenberg (.332) was

2-for-4 with a double. RF Yeison Asencio (.286) was 2-for-3. 2B Adam Buschini (.236) was 2-for-4 with a

double and two runs scored. CF Jankowski (.250) was 1-for-5 with three RBIs. RHP Zach Eflin (3.38 ERA)

allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in three innings. RHP Bryce Morrow(2.82)

allowed three hits with six strikeouts in three innings. RHP Michael Dimock (1-6, 3.56) allowed three runs on

five hits with a strikeout in an inning. RHP Luis De La Cruz(2.60) allowed an unearned run on a hit with a

strikeout in an inning.

SINGLE-A (low) FORT WAYNE (51-63, 21-24): Lansing 7, TIN CAPS 0 – Starting RHP Ronald Herrera (5-

7, 3.82 ERA) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in five innings.

RHP Erik Cabrera (5.45) allowed a run on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts in three innings.

RHP Jason Jester (3.18) allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk in an inning.

SINGLE-A (short season) EUGENE (22-29, 7-6): The Emeralds were off Wednesday as part of the Midwest

League All-Star break.

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ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (11-25, 4-5): PADRES 8, Angels 1 – LF Jordan Paroubek(.305) was 3-for-5

with a triple, his fourth homer, four RBIs and two runs scored. 1BRicardo Valenzuela (.221) was 3-for-5 with

a double, a RBI and two runs scored. Starting LHP Taylor Cox (2-1, 2.51 ERA) allowed one run on five hits and

a walk with five strikeouts in five innings. RHP Corey Kimber (5.47) allowed a hit and a walk with four

strikeouts in two scoreless innings.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (13-43): The Padres were rained out.

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Solarte making a new home with Padres Career minor leaguer making good first impression with latest team By Jeff Sanders5:27 p.m.Aug. 7, 2014

Yangervis Solarte makes a living moving around.

The 27-year-old Venezuelan hopes to do it well enough to … well, stop moving around as much

as he has eight-plus years into his professional career.

The stops, to date, have included Fort Myers, Fla, Beloit, Wis., New Britain, Conn., Round Rock,

Texas, second and third base, shortstop and the outfield before finally landing on a major

league team’s radar.

As he sat in the visiting clubhouse in Minnesota – where his career started all those years ago

as a teenager trying to follow uncle Roger Cedeno’s fast climb to the show – Solarte considered

his long and winding journey to a yet another new home with the Padres.

“I want to stay with San Diego for a long time,” Solarte said as he finished wrapping grip tape

around his bat earlier this week. “I want to play hard here.”

He has already. The impact on the Padres’ lineup has been more than noticeable, too.

Since arriving in the organization with minor league pitcher Rafael De Paula in the deal that sent

Chase Headley to the Yankees, Solarte’s bat has been productive regardless of which glove

Padres manager Bud Black sent him to the field with.

He filled in at second base as Jedd Gyorko finished his minor league rehab assignment. He has

slid over to third as Headley’s replacement and has even jumped into the outfield. Along the

way, the versatile switch-hitter has fashioned a .276/.353/.414 batting line with two homers and

nine RBIs while helping the made-over Padres set an upbeat tone for the second half of the

season.

“We’ve got a group of new guys who came to play baseball and I feel like those guys changed

the clubhouse,” catcher Rene Rivera said after the Padres won for the 11th in 18 games

Wednesday in Minnesota. “Like Solarte; he is a great player. He came ready. The vibe feels so

different now.

“We show it and we see it in the field. We’re playing better.”

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Solarte is, too.

At least much better than he was after a fast start in New York faded enough to earn one more

stop on his journey: A demotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the International League.

That he was in even in New York to begin had as much to do with elusive opportunity as his

most productive spring to date.

Six seasons in the Twins organization passed without advancing past Double-A. Then two more

years passed with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate before career-high power production landed

Solarte on several teams’ radars heading into the offseason last year.

The Yankees were especially in need.

On top of Alex Rodriguez’s looming year-long suspension, the Yankees were in a stare down

with All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano. Solarte, too, had extra incentive to hope for a

spring training at the Yankees’ Tampa complex, just up the road from the home he was making

with his wife and 3- and 4-year-old daughters in Fort Myers, Fla.

“I really wanted to stay close to home,” said Solarte, who hit a career-high 12 homers last year

in Round Rock. “A lot of teams were looking at me in the offseason. The Yankees called me

every day. They said, ‘If we don’t sign Cano, you’ll get more of an opportunity.’”

They didn’t.

Instead, the Mariners inked Cano to a mega-deal and the Yankees signed Solarte to a minor

league one and watched the career minor leaguer undeniably mash his way to an opening day

roster spot with a .439/.489/.571 campaign this spring.

Sharing the achievement with his family – especially his wife Yuliett, his daughters Yuliett and

Yanliett and, of course, Cedeno, the 11-year major league vet who’d mentored him throughout

his journey – made it all that much more special.

“I can’t believe I made the team with the best organization in the world,” Solarte said. “I said,

‘Wow. I’m going to play with the Yankees?’ … I didn’t expect it. I wasn’t on the (40-man) roster.

It was difficult. I told myself, let me play hard, let me play hard. Do what you do.”

It was that mentality – along with 12 hits in 20 at-bats in the minors – that carried him back to

New York when Solarte slumped to a .164 average in June after batting .299 with six homers

and 26 RBIs over the first two months of the season while manning second, third and shortstop

for the Yankees.

With the Padres, one tool is standing above his others – from more than adequate arm strength

to good range to impressive first-step quickness – in making a grand first impression.

“It’s about his bat,” third base coach Glenn Hoffman said of Solarte, who drove in runs in seven

of his first eight games with the Padres. “When you hit, you find a place to play. That’s what

we’re trying to do – get him in the lineup the way his bat’s been.”

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And maybe, just maybe, that’s Solarte’s ticket home. Even if that home is all over the diamond.

“It’s a very good thing for me,” he said. “It gives me an opportunity to play every day and I want

to play for a long time.

“I want here to stay here for a long time.”

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Minors: Liriano finishes HR shy of cycle Running through the Padres' latest minor league results By Dennis Lin9 a.m.Aug. 8, 2014

Triple-A El Paso (57-62)

Chihuahuas 13, Salt Lake 2: Rymer Liriano (.462) went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple,

finishing a home run shy of a cycle. Liriano also stole two bases, drove in two runs and scored

three runs. In his first 13 games with the Chihuahuas, the outfielder is 24-for-52 with eight

doubles, a triple and 11 RBIs. Cody Decker (.268) went 3-for-5 with his 18th home run, three

RBIs and two runs scored. Adam Moore (.295) went 2-for-4 with a double and his ninth homer.

Jonathan Galvez (.287) went 4-for-6 with a double and two RBIs. Jake Goebbert went 1-for-2

with a double, four walks and four runs scored. Juan Oramas (5.54 ERA) allowed two runs in

seven innings on 10 hits, striking out three.

Double-A San Antonio (58-59)

Missions 4, Arkansas 3: Travis Jankowski (.263) went 2-for-4 with a double, a steal and two

RBIs. Cory Spangenberg (.335) went 2-for-4 and a steal. Joe Ross (3.60 ERA) allowed three

runs in the first inning before exiting with shoulder fatigue. Josh Geer (3.68 ERA) picked up the

win in relief, throwing six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six. Frank Garces

(1.73 ERA) and R.J. Alvarez (0.26 ERA) each threw a scoreless inning.

High Single-A Lake Elsinore (64-53)

High Desert 2, Storm 1: Mallex Smith (.318) went 2-for-4 with a double. Dane Phillips (.308)

went 2-for-4. Elliot Morris (3.45 ERA) allowed two runs in six innings on four hits and a walk,

striking out five. Matthew Shepherd (4.61 ERA) threw three scoreless innings, striking out five.

Low Single-A Fort Wayne (52-63)

TinCaps 12, Lake County 11 (F/10):Fernando Perez (.283) hit a grand slam and drove in six

runs. Henry Charles (.235) doubled, homered and scored four runs. Ryan Miller (.250) also hit a

home run. Ronnie Richardson (.277) went 2-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored. Josh

VanMeter (.258) went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs. Trea Turner (.439) went 2-for-6 with a

triple. Ryan Butler (0.68 ERA) picked up the win out of the bullpen, throwing two scoreless

innings.

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Short-season Eugene (22-30)

Hillsboro 5, Emeralds 2: River Stevens (.394) doubled, stole a base and scored a run. Walker

Weickel (5.03 ERA) allowed three runs, one earned, in four innings.

Rookie DSL Padres (13-44)

DSL Twins 4, DSL Padres 3: Derwin Pomare (.182) tripled and scored a run. Eisler Cordova

(1.80 ERA) threw three scoreless innings, striking out two.

Rookie AZL Padres (12-26)

AZL Cubs 4, AZL Padres 1: Carlos Belen (.277) went 2-for-3 with a home run. B.J. Guinn went

2-for-3 with a double. Mayky Perez (8.06 ERA) allowed two runs in five innings.

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Morning links: Evaluating Black next? Padres-related news from around the web By Jeff Sanders7 a.m.Aug. 8, 2014

His midseason hiring allows A.J. Preller to get a head start in evaluating the Padres, top to

bottom, in his new capacity as the Padres’ general manager. Those assessments presumably

include taking a close look at manager Bud Black, who was believed to be on the hot seat at

some point right alongside dismissed GM Josh Byrnes during the team’s slide out of contention.

The two spoke by phone as Preller rode from the airport to his introductory press conference

Wednesday afternoon. Consider that just the start of a long look at Black, who is under contract

through 2015 but has yet to take the Padres to the postseason in his eight years in San Diego.

At some point, that track record will matter as much as Black’s sterling reputation throughout the

game.

“I think the biggest thing in general is you don’t know anyone until you work with them on a day

to day basis,” Preller said Wednesday. “From afar, my impression of Bud Black has been a very

positive one. I’m looking forward to, in the next few months, getting together and talking to him

more day to day and being around the big league club.

“… Around the game he has a very positive reputation.”

Within the Padres organization, team president Mike Dee insisted this week that Black’s job was

never in jeopardy.

“We have a lot of confidence in Buddy, think he has been a great leader here,” Dee told Fox

Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. “It's going to be up to A.J. to figure out whether Buddy's managerial style

fits the construction of the roster. If I was sitting here today, I would say that I see a marriage

that could form between the two that could be very productive and promising.”

In other Padres headlines …

Yangervis Solarte hopes to make a new home with the Padres.

Not everyone was a fan of the Preller hiring.

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RIVALS QUESTION HIRING, BUT PADRES BACK NEW GENERAL MANAGER

Ken Rosenthal0

Call it competitive envy. Call it legitimate concern.

The reaction to the Padres’ hiring of A.J. Preller as general manager on Wednesday elicited strong

reactions from some rival club officials, officials who believe that an episode from earlier in Preller’s

career raises questions about how he will handle his new role.

Preller, 36, received a one-month suspension in the late 2000s for an incident that occurred while he was

scouting for the Rangers in the Dominican Republic, according to major-league sources. The suspension

was reduced from three months after the Rangers appealed, and the club also paid a $50,000 fine, sources

said.

Padres club president Mike Dee said Preller was given a “clean bill of health” by the Commissioner’s

Office. Rangers GM Jon Daniels said that Preller’s success stems from hard work and not “any

underhanded stuff.” Preller told Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on Thursday that he was

“extremely proud” of the Rangers’ international department.

Preller declined further comment to FOX Sports.

“Anybody that knows the scouts, the people involved on a day-to-day basis, knows that at the end of the

day it was a very productive group, a group that handles kids and players in a very first-class manner,

representing the Rangers and Major League Baseball really positively,” Preller told MLB Network Radio.

“I think with anything else, at times when there’s competition, sometimes there are maybe some sour

grapes from people that think different things. But I think ultimately MLB felt – and I know they’ll say it

– that there ultimately was no rule violation or anything like that. They felt good about what we were

doing program-wise. I know I did, for sure, and the Rangers did.”

MLB, however, repeatedly has declined comment when asked if Preller committed any wrongdoing.

Some rival club officials are bristling now that Preller has ascended to one of 30 coveted GM positions —

and that the Padres saw fit to hire him.

While those officials decline to comment publicly, their position essentially is that the Padres should not

entrust their principal decision-making position to someone who previously was disciplined for

misconduct.

“It raises the question: What do you stand for as an organization?” one rival executive said.

Others, however, say that Preller was penalized for a relatively minor infraction and question the validity

of the process that led to his suspension, noting that baseball no longer employs the investigators who

built the case against him.

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Preller’s violation, sources said, stemmed from negotiating with a player who had been suspended for an

age/ID discrepancy. Teams are not allowed to talk to players under suspension, or to the “buscones” that

represent them.

Daniels, who was a fraternity brother and roommate of Preller’s at Cornell, said that his former employee

should not be portrayed in a negative light.

“A.J. is one of the good guys. A.J. has been very productive. And not just that – he treats people very

well, both the people we’ve signed and the people we deal with down there,” Daniels said.

“Are we aggressive? Is he aggressive? Absolutely. But we’re far from the only ones. He was one of the

first young American guys to go down there and change the way business is done a little bit. That has

ruffled some feathers.

“I’m defensive because I care about him and because I know the truth. He works his butt off. That’s why

he’s been productive, not because of any underhanded stuff.”

Dee, the Padres’ club president, said the team spoke with Preller and Major League Baseball about

Preller’s infraction during its search for a new GM.

“When we heard about it, we obviously wanted to find out what happened,” Dee said. “But as soon as we

talked to A.J. about it and most importantly talked to Major League Baseball about it and got the full

briefing from them as to what went down, we were very comfortable in believing that really no rules

violations had taken place and that whatever issues there may have been were dealt with.

“He probably learned a lesson, too, from it. That was important to us. As he reflects upon it, he feels that

he acted within the parameters of the rules, (but) I think he walked away from it saying, ‘Hey.’ It

happened when he was in his late 20s. It was a learning process. After we evaluated and got the clean bill

of health from baseball, we never gave it a second thought.”

When asked why Preller was suspended if he did not violate a rule, Dee said, “I don’t want to get into the

details of it. I can just tell you that Major League Baseball gave us a clear indication that there is nothing

to be concerned about, no hangover from his record. It’s not like, ‘If this ever happens again, it’s going to

be blank-blank-blank.’ It was a slap on the wrist. He moved on.

“The proof is in the pudding from our point of view. He got two promotions with the Rangers in the years

after that happened and had a lot of success signing players within the construct of the rules that are out

there.

“If it had happened last year, would we have been a little more concerned? Maybe, because he was older.

There would have been less miles between the time that there was some concern and today. But the fact

that it was five, six years ago, we have zero concern about that.”

Preller’s ability to sign top international talent was one of his selling points for the Padres. Within the

industry, he is universally acknowledged as intelligent and industrious, with one rival executive saying he

“works 25 hours a day.” Some with the Padres believe that his creativity will benefit the franchise, and

welcome his edge.

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Preller, upon graduating from Cornell, worked for Major League Baseball. Frank Robinson, who briefly

supervised Preller while serving as MLB’s vice-president of on-field operations from 1999 to 2002, said

he knew his young employee was destined for big things.

“In the very short period of time he worked with me, he was a very sharp individual,” Robinson said. “He

thinks outside the box. And he knows his baseball. I knew he was going to go a long way from Day One.

He wasn’t just there. He knew what he wanted to accomplish. And he accomplished it.”

Attracting scrutiny along the way.

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