Former MLB executive says some GMs don’t hold A.J. Preller in “high regard”

On the Talking Friars podcast this week, former Miami Marlins president David Samson alluded to me that San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller isn’t viewed as one of the top decision makers in the sport.

“If you ask around the game, the majority of other GMs would tell you that a team with A.J. Preller as GM is likely not going to win,” Samson said during the interview. Preller recently signed an extension with the team prior to last season after constructing the first postseason roster in club history since 2006 in 2020. While there have been some moves that haven’t worked out (just as there have been with every general manager in the sport), Preller has brought in a solid core of players including Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado, Trent Grisham and Joe Musgrove.

Later in my conversation with Samson, he also said some general managers in baseball “do not necessarily hold [Preller] in high regard and it’s because they’ve dealt with him.”

“The issue that GMs have with him in general is that he believes that he’s the smartest person in every room he’s in.”

It’s only fair to Preller to also mention that Samson didn’t really find a problem with how Preller went about trade conversations, saying he is a “deal maker” and “he’s very open about what he’s willing to give to get what he wants.”

You can watch or listen to the entire interview by clicking the following links below: