Did the Padres’ change of heart save AJ Preller’s job?

The difference one year can make is incredible.

Perhaps the job of president of baseball operations and general manager AJ Preller could also be saved.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Preller put an end to speculation about his future with the San Diego Padres after taking a $90 million payroll cut and fielding a much improved roster in 2024.

The contrast between this year and last is enormous.

Last year, The Athletic interviewed “more than two dozen current and former Padres employees and others around baseball, nearly all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity in exchange for candor, revealing deep cultural problems that start at the top of the organization and, in some cases, percolate down to the players.”

They found that dysfunctional management had an impact on the pitch.

One player told The Athletic that the 2023 season was an “institutional failure.” Dysfunction behind the scenes affected the team as the season unfolded like a nightmare. The Padres missed the postseason entirely despite fielding the highest payroll in franchise history.

“You could argue he’s one of the best talent evaluators of all time,” the former Padres player told The Athletic. “But just because you can evaluate talent doesn’t mean you know how to deal with people.”

It had to hurt — but it also had to be said. Whether it was a direct response to criticism he heard in the media or not, Preller turned things around in the office and on the field.

Preller replaced 12 of his top 15 players during the season and then put everything on the line before the transfer window closed.

As a result, he built the best bullpen in baseball, acquiring relievers Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing from the Marlins and Jason Adam from the Rays.

With few star players changing teams before the deadline, relievers were probably the most cautious acquisitions available to a contending team. The Padres turned every early lead into a six-inning game with their new signings

Entering Saturday, San Diego was 23-11 since the trade deadline and a major league-best 31-13 since the All-Star break. They are 60-8 this season when scoring at least five runs, the best mark in MLB.

By comparison, San Diego’s 6-22 record in one-run games and 0-11 in games that went to extra innings were the worst in the league last season.

Preller had to learn this lesson the hard way, with raw love.

“I think AJ isn’t very good at recognizing the cultural cost of him criticizing the coaching staff,” the team’s former executive told The Athletic.

Preller took that negativity and rebuilt the clubhouse around the culture, and the Padres are thriving and looking toward the postseason as it draws to a close.