MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 6, 2022

A.J. Preller

San Diego Padres

Press Conference

Q. Anything new today?

A.J. PRELLER: I mean, yeah, still the same. A lot of conversation, finding out more from agents and different clubs what's out there. Trade-wise, free agency-wise. I think every day at Winter Meetings you get a little bit more info, get a little better sense of what's available and what the possibilities are and some things that are not going to be possible either. We'll see where it leads us the next couple days.

Q. Yesterday you said it was kind of 1A, 1, 1A, adding a bat and pitching. Is there a priority of either of the two, or is it just kind of like evaluating everyone?

A.J. PRELLER: Again, I think we've gone back and forth in the last couple weeks. I think it really just depends what's out there, what's available, what's the acquisition cost or the price point.

Again, it's a pretty similar story. We like our team. We like what we have on the roster. If we can add to it with players that make sense for our group, we're going to look to do it within our budget. If not, I think we feel comfortable with what we have. I think we can be selective. That's really what the last couple weeks have been about and the last few days at the Winter Meetings.

Q. Do you have a target number of starters you'd like to sign, or it just kind of depends on who the guy or guys end up being in terms of filling out the rest of the rotation?

A.J. PRELLER: It depends who's out there, who's available. Again, I think Nick Martinez, he'll get every opportunity here and see him as a starter. I think the group that we had at Triple-A, I think that will be a big focus for us is getting that group, along with talking about a guy like Adrian Morejon and getting those guys extended out and being real options for us, and we'll kind of look from outside as well.

I don't think it's a situation where, hey, we need eight. We need nine. I think it's a situation where we want to be comfortable with what we have and go from there with it.

Q. What have you learned from the way the rotation played out last season, the way you went seven and six and set you up for the rest of the year? What have you learned about the impact that can have?

A.J. PRELLER: Each year is different. In '21 we tried to have a lot of depth with the starting staff as well. Again, we had a lot of different injuries and some performance factors as well. I think early in the year last year, it was the reason why we got off to a really good start honestly.

It enabled us -- the Manaea deal at the end of Spring Training enabled us to be cautious with our starters. I think it was Clev and Snell at the beginning of the year. It enabled us to get our starters off running and, from a schedule standpoint, pitching, getting an extra day of rest here or there.

We had MacKenzie come up and pitch really well. So I think all that contributed early in the season. That's the value of starting pitching when you have guys every night that can take the ball and get you deep in a game with a chance to win.

That's not really anything new. I think we understand that. It's hard to find those kind of guys and create that depth and that quality.

Q. There was (indiscernible) where you tried to sign Trea Turner and you guys have been linked to Xander Bogaerts today too. I'm wondering does the versatility on your roster allow you to make it work? You have three shortstops on it. Or do you think if you acquire another shortstop there might have to be a subsequent trade to free something up?

A.J. PRELLER: I think I've been talking about that over the last couple days. I think definitely when you have -- we like versatile players, athletic guys that can play both sides of the ball and give you a chance to be creative and look at different options.

Again, with Kim, Cronenworth, Tatis, Manny, we feel really good about our infielders and where we're at from that standpoint. If we can add somebody else to that mix that improves us, we'll talk about it.

I think in general having some players on the roster that can play multiple spots that are athletic and can move around the diamond, I think there's different ways we can go to add to the position player crew, I think having the guys that can do that benefits us for sure.

Q. Each Winter Meetings takes on a different shape. Sometimes the signings are fast and furious. Sometimes the trades are slow. Anything about the pace of these meetings and how negotiations are going surprise you?

A.J. PRELLER: Each meetings is different. I think there's been some big announcements here so far. A couple years ago you had like one after another basically. Last year was different with the lockout situation coming and kind of the deadline type deal.

I think each is different. I think we mentioned yesterday sometimes you get that one signing that leads to kind of a domino effect where people are waiting on a signing.

Again, we don't get too worked up on like the timing of it. Again, like you come here to the Winter Meetings. If you can make a move, great. But sometimes we've done things a few weeks later, a few months later. I think Musgrove might have been later on in the off-season. We've done some different things from that standpoint, and I don't think there's anything different on that for us this year.

Q. The reports were that you guys offered Trea somewhere around 300, $400 million range. Is that accurate on those reports?

A.J. PRELLER: Again, we don't discuss anything from a dollar and cents standpoint with any player we're talking to. Again, it was reported that we met with Trea and talked to him and kind of gauged his interest in being a Padre, and that was accurate.

From that standpoint, ultimately he chose a different team, and we're moving on in a different direction.

Q. Do you feel your financial budget is enough that you could afford a contract like that, though, no matter who it goes to?

A.J. PRELLER: I think, again, we sit down at the beginning of the off-season and constant dialogue, myself, Peter Seidler, Erik Greupner, kind of where we're at, direction in the short term and over the course of the next five years, come up with a budget that we feel like works for us and what we're trying to do.

Then we're always, at the end of the day, with Peter at least, if there's something that makes sense, let's talk about it. But for the most part, we try to stick to what we plan out over the last couple weeks and last couple of months.

Q. With Bell and Abreu being signed, the first baseman market is thinning out. Do you see a trade possible to fortify that position?

A.J. PRELLER: I think we've been open to the trade market and the free agent market. I think ultimately we'll continue having some conversations. We have some conversations going on right now for ability to add a bat and a first baseman on the trade front.

But it's hard to line up on trades. We're kind of going down both paths right now and see where it leads us.

Q. A.J., Darvish announced that he's going to participate in WBC. Did you talk with him after that or have any concerns about it?

A.J. PRELLER: We've had a lot of conversations with Yu, talking about the WBC. Again, I just know there's a lot of trust in Darvish. Obviously he's done it before. He's pitched in the Classic before. He's a veteran player and a tremendous pitcher, and he's always prepared. I think that's -- we're always very confident in what Darvish wants to do from a preparation standpoint.

He knows kind of what the schedule looks like. And again, it's like from a WBC standpoint, we think it's a fun tournament to watch. You see the best talent in the world, and people that take a lot of pride in playing for their country.

I think firsthand being in Japan at the past Classics and what that staff has a chance to do, we were supportive of it and just put the decision in Darvish's hands. We'll see how it plays out in the next couple months as he kind of gets ready to either participate or kind of see where he's at overall from that standpoint.

So we did have a lot of conversation with him and ultimately let him make the decision.

Q. Anything on Japanese pitcher Senga?

A.J. PRELLER: Again, he's a free agent, so we've talked about it. We've got a lot of history seeing Kodai Senga pitch in MPB. He's obviously a very accomplished pitcher. From a team standpoint, winning a lot, winning multiple championships there in Japan. He's filled all kinds of different roles. He's pitched in Olympics, WBC. He's a talent.

I think we've kind of talked to -- we always want to be -- I think we always want to be in a spot where if you have impact talent, especially coming from Japan, we're going to be prepared and ready to make a decision. We'll see where it leads for us in regards to Senga.

Q. His agent said he had several multi-year offers. Is the Padres one of them?

A.J. PRELLER: Again, not going to get into details from a free agent standpoint or anything like that.

Q. As this team has improved, have you noticed a significant shift in players wanting to come here, or has it been strictly how the numbers line up? In the time you've been with the Padres, have you seen that shift happen where they would want to be more with this team?

A.J. PRELLER: Again, throughout the industry, I think you feel it in terms of players, they want to be in spots where they're in an organization that they feel like the team has a chance to win. You've got a chance to play in the postseason.

I think, again, having ownership that is looking to win, that creates excitement, that values the players. We have really good people, and I think that word starts to spread throughout baseball, whether it's Bob Melvin, whether it's our coaching staff. But like TJ Lasita on the traveling side and handling all kinds of things for our player group. The way our front office approaches certain things, I think players appreciate that.

Ultimately, a big part of it is the economic side of it, but yeah, you definitely feel it. I think just kind of judging four or five years ago where we're trying to explain this is what we're trying to build and this is what we think it's going to look like to now where players can see it and they talk amongst each other.

You definitely get a lot more incoming calls than we did a few years ago. Ultimately, hopefully, that plays out for us in the standings.

Q. Bob said yesterday that he is very demanding of his catchers. He wants them to see the game a certain way. What do you want to see from Luis Campusano to take that next step and that all your starters are comfortable throwing to him?

A.J. PRELLER: I think his progression the last couple years, it's been good. He's had the ability to -- sometimes you've got to rush young players, especially in today's game where just a premium on young players being at the Major League level, but with catching it's hard to do that.

There's some things they need to do from a practice standpoint to get into competition at the highest level. He's had a chance now kind of going through the system and spending the last two years, the majority of time in Triple-A from a learning standpoint, and this year getting more time at the Big League level, being on the postseason roster.

He's a talented catcher. He sees the baseball well. He blocks well. Some of the games, the Musgrove combinations at the end of the year, were throwing to Luis Campusano. Things in terms of what we look at from a catching standpoint, he checked out in the ball games.

Part of it is experience, learning the game, the speed of it, going through the tough spots in seventh, eighth, ninth inning, going through like the lineups for the third or fourth time. But he's going to put the work in. We like him. And we see him as part of our mix for sure going into next year.

Q. He was playing at DR for a little while. He came back a little earlier than expected. What happened?

A.J. PRELLER: In his case, it wasn't like a, hey, it's going to be four weeks or three weeks. We knew his off-season was going to be Dominican and come back to San Diego where he was going to train in the off-season with a bunch of our guys and then head to Arizona.

I think from his standpoint he got sick, unfortunately, from some food poisoning. He still had a chance to go down there and play for a few weeks. I think, if it was cut short, it was only a week or so. It wasn't anything more than that.

Q. A.J., what's the health on Tatis as you've been monitoring him through the surgery?

A.J. PRELLER: With Tatis, he had the shoulder surgery to repair the labrum tear and the wrist repair. In both cases he's doing well right now.

In terms of what our medical staff is saying, the doctors on the checkups, he's in a good place. I think we'll know a lot more in the next couple weeks. I think the goal as we get into January is for him to do more baseball activity. I think we'll find out more in the next two weeks and beginning of January, but he's on track to be ready for Spring Training.

Q. What can he do during Spring Training considering (indiscernible)?

A.J. PRELLER: I think he's pretty much able to participate as normal. He can practice with the team. He can play in games. We'll get to the health component and how we progress him from the health side. But I think from coming back from the suspension, he's going to be able to participate with the team and the group in playing games.

Once the season starts, he'll go back on suspension and go from there.

Q. (No microphone)?

A.J. PRELLER: Again, it's another left-hand bat from Japan. Got a lot of history there too as well. He's obviously done a lot of winning here the last couple years. It's a plate discipline hitter that gives you a really quality at-bat and then has power as well.

It's a corner player. It's probably more left field. Yeah, we're, I think, very aware. We've got a lot of information and evaluations on him. We'll see where it goes.

Q. How is Dylan Lesko's rehab going?

A.J. PRELLER: Again, he had his T.J., I want to say, right around April of last year. He's in the throwing phase and just started that progression. It's going to be more when we get into the new year and he starts to ramp up. For the most part, it's about getting his strength back and getting himself in position and really start to ramp up the throwing going into next year. The time frame for him is more like midsummer of next year, and we're pretty aware of that and aren't going to do anything to rush that.

Q. Besides Darvish, there are some other players who want to play in the WBC. Ha-Seong wants to play for Korea. How do you feel about your players leaving camp and playing for WBC?

A.J. PRELLER: We're supportive of that. Understanding like Ha-Seong being able to play for Korea or Darvish for Japan, there's a lot of pride there. I think the baseball fans in those countries, they love to see their team and the best players from their country, even if they're guys that are playing in the Big Leagues right now, play and participate for their country.

So we'll be very supportive of it, if the guys want to play, let them go play. Again, those guys are professionals. So if they're out of Spring Training for a period of time, we know they're going to get their work in and play for their countries.

Q. Do you need another pitcher to replace Clevenger?

A.J. PRELLER: We've talked about a lot of them. In the rotation we've got Darvish, Snell, Nick Martinez, but we're going to look to add a starter or two here in the next couple of weeks.