A.J. Preller Confirms That He's Looking to Add Another Arm

Fans got to hear directly from A.J. Preller for the first time this offseason at FanFest today. In typical general manager fashion, he did his best to say as much as possible without actually revealing plans.

Still, there were some nice nuggets of information that reveal what his priorities are heading into Spring Training. One thing about Preller is that he’s never going to stop looking for ways to improve the club. He may be handicapped by a maxed out payroll, but he loves to trade and will be searching the markets for affordable free-agents or potential acquisitions. Spring Training's upcoming start won’t hinder his search, as he cited past moves such as the Dylan Cease trade that happened very late in the offseason.

“It feels like we go right up until spring training, we're always looking to improve the club,” said Preller.

Interviewer Tony Gwynn Jr pushed him a little further, acknowledging the need for an extra arm in the rotation. Preller actually agreed with this comment, and gave us the most revealing statement of the day.

“I think that the rotation is still looking at another add or two as we lead up to spring training,” said Preller.

You can’t take this as a 100% confirmation that more pitching will be added, but that's genuinely what it sounds like. This news comes as a surprise because the Padres already added left handed starter Marco Gonzales this week. It was initially understood that Gonzales was a budget add and that Preller was saving assets to make a big addition to the lineup.

Veteran lefty Marco Gonzales to Padres. Minors deal with MLB camp invite. $1.5M if makes team with $1M incentives.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 29, 2026

However, that statement could mean a more notable arm will be brought in to bolster the rotation. Preller didn’t acknowledge lineup reinforcements, but did discuss the possibility of adding some new bats in radio interviews earlier in FanFest. It looks like he won't stop searching right up until opening day.

Along with Preller's statements about roster improvements, fans got to hear from manager Craig Stamman who will look to take this roster to a championship. After the Padres had a notably “old” coaching staff in 2025, Staimman is looking to bring in young, relatable energy to his staff.

“Im a first year manager so I needed people I could count on with expertise in the game,” said Staimman. “My strategy overall was finding guys that were young, energetic and had past playing experience.”

For now, his goal is to build relationships with his players and support the Padres talent competing in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. He believes that strong WBC performances from players like Fernando Tatis Jr and Mason Miller will help kickstart a dominant 2026 regular season.

“We want these guys to perform their best when they're playing for their country,” said Staimman. “We're gonna be rooting for the Dominican Republic and be ready to see those guys show off.”

Despite a quiet offseason and questions regarding the Padres fourth manager in five seasons, the operations staff remains committed to winning. Preller isn’t done making moves, Staimman is locked into building strong comradery in 2026, and the organization's commitment to winning a championship is as strong as ever.