San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller has a reputation as being one of the boldest executives in baseball, often spending aggressively, and sometimes recklessly, to acquire the players he wants.
Unlike some of his more cautious peers, Preller is clearly committed to winning and willing to do whatever it takes to improve his team.
He proved that again at this year's trade deadline, acquiring Casey Mize and Robbie Ray to bolster the Padres' rotation. Both are rental pieces, but they could help San Diego make the playoffs.
Not surprisingly, Preller publicly defended his win-now moves to the media.
“We’re trying to win,” Preller said on a conference call following Monday’s MLB Trade Deadline. “We don’t apologize for it. We’re trying to win championships. We’re trying to get to the postseason, and do it year after year.”
After losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night, the Padres enter play on Tuesday two games out of a wild card spot in the National League. The NL wild card race is crowded, but Mize and Ray might be able to push San Diego over the hump.
If they do, Preller's aggressiveness will pay off. If the Padres falter down the stretch and miss the playoffs, it will have backfired.
At least he's going for it, which is more than some GMs can say.