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Well this is exciting news if you're into scouts with 49 years of experience coming to the Padres organization. It will be announced shortly that Don Welke will leave the Texas Rangers and join A.J. Preller in San Diego. Preller and Welke worked together in Los Angeles and Texas and are said to be very close.
Sources: #Rangers special assistant Don Welke to officially join #Padres & AJ Preller: http://t.co/12UZXmFPLQ Announcement could come today
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) August 19, 2014
Padres President Mike Dee admitted to the press during Preller's signing that the Padres had agreed that they wouldn't be able to poach Front Office talent from the Rangers for two years. As it turns out the Rangers had veto rights and they chose not to use them on Welke.
The restrictions the Rangers placed on San Diego’s hiring of front office personnel other than A.J. Preller? They came with a caveat. The Padres could always ask; the Rangers had the ability to veto.
It was long rumored that Welke would eventually join Preller, but now it's become a reality. Texas's loss is the Padres' gain.
#Padres fans in for a treat with "Coach" apparently headed west. @ProfessorParks can speak much more about him, but Don Welke is the best.
— Joe Hamrahi (@JHamrahi) August 19, 2014
Welke, who turns 72 next month, was driving Monday to see the team's Double-A affiliate in Frisco. Not wasting any time. Sounded energized.
— Corey Brock (@FollowThePadres) August 19, 2014