Padres’ AJ Preller Called Out For Inability to Fill Key Offensive Position

Oct 31, 2019; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres general manager AJ Preller (left) speaks to the media as manager Jayce Tingler is introduced at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The disappointment of losing in the 2025 Wild Card round is starting to evolve into a determination to avoid a similar or worse fate for the 2026 San Diego Padres.

The Padres offense showed serious holes in 2025, as they failed to put runs on the board throughout the postseason, scoring just five runs in the three-game series against the Cubs. As a team, they batted just .189/.243/.305 in a disappointing conclusion to the 2025 season.

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One way that the Padres will look to shore up their offensive production will be in finding a suitable replacement for first baseman Luis Arraez, who is likely to depart the team in free agency.

Replacing Arraez is no small task, as the eight-year veteran is one of the most consistent hitters in baseball with a career batting average of .317. Additionally, Padres general manager A.J. Preller has a complicated history with finding suitable first basemen, as The San Diego Union-Tribune's Tom Krasovic wrote.

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"First base is a different story. It's the new hot corner in Padres Land," Krasovic wrote. "Luis Arraez is likely deparing as a free agent, leaving a hole at first. Finding first basemen, Preller has mostly underperformed the bright results of many of the franchise's other team-builders."

Krasovic also pointed out that the Padres have at least one positive bit of news regarding first basemen, as the team has completed paying out former first basemen Eric Hosmer, who got a final installment of $12.9 million this season after trading him away in 2022.

In order to fill the hole left by Arraez, Krasovic even posed that third baseman Manny Machado could move over to first base. Machado, who has played third base for his entire career other than playing as a shortstop in 2015 and 2018, has not played first base a single time in his 14-year career.

Regardless of how they go about it, the Padres must improve their 40-man roster, Krasovic wrote, with the onus ultimately on chairman John Seidler. If the Padres are to reach their ultimate goal of winning the World Series, they'll have to spend their way to success.

"Show him plenty of money, John," Krasovic concluded.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.