Padres News: Confidence in A.J. Preller Seems to Be Decreasing Among Fans Based on Survey
The San Diego Padres will be entering the 2024 season with something to prove after a failed 2023 year that saw them miss the postseason. After a strong offseason, the Padres fell short of the high expectations that were set on them.
It was a frustrating season all around and one that many would love to forget. But the clock is now ticking on the front office to get this team back into contention. However, the fanbase isn't too excited about their chances.
According to a fan survey done by The Athletic's Dennis Lin, the confidence in president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has been declining by the fanbase. In the survey, only 5.3% said they were very confident in him, and 19.1% said they were somewhat confident in his ability.
On the other hand, 27.5% of the fans surveyed said they were unsure, 26.7% were not very confident, and 21.4% were not confident at all. This is a stark difference from where the team was even a year ago, and it's a direct result of the lack of trust in the front office.
Preller has done well in building a team full of stars and creating a strong farm system. But he has also taken some unnecessary risks along the way without amounting to much winning on the field.
San Diego's big triumph during his tenure was knocking the rival Los Angeles Dodgers out in the NLDS before losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. With the amount of money spent over the last few years, the results haven't matched the spending spree.
Within the survey, fans commented on their thoughts, and a few of them directly took aim at Preller.
“A.J. Preller needs to be moved to a different role. He’s good at building the farm, but his moves related to the big league club have hurt more than helped.”
One fan thinks that Preller has been given too long of a leash and that it's time for San Diego to make a change in leadership.
“Preller’s had plenty of time to construct this team, and hasn’t proven capable. It’s time for a change.”
This isn't a great look for Preller and the entire organization. Of course, the team isn't going to make a change due to the fans, but the pressure is on Preller to field a winning team this season.
