Longest-Tenured Member of Padres' Front Office Resigns

San Diego Padres assistant general manager Fred Uhlman Jr., the longest-tenured member of the organization, submitted his resignation. General manager A.J. Preller confirmed the news to the San Diego Union-Tribune on Wednesday.

Uhlman worked 39 seasons in professional baseball and spent the last 29 with the Padres. His duties included professional and amateur player evaluation, player transactions and contract negotiations. He also worked closely with the day-to-day operations of the Padres’ scouting and player development departments.

Preller described Uhlman as a "behind-the-scenes" guy who worked for worked for general managers Randy Smith, Kevin Towers, Jed Hoyer and Josh Byrnes before Preller was hired in August 2014.

“As a first-time GM, he provided a lot of comfort,” Preller said.

Preller said that Uhlman's resignation has been a recurring topic in recent years. He'd mentioned that he wanted a change after spending almost the decades in San Diego. However, the organization had been preparing for this day. The team has been spreading his duties around over the past few months and Uhlman continues to assist the team in this transitional period before stepping away.

There is no immediate plan to replace Uhlman.