1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Friday “What Do You Think of the Padres GM Now?”ko

Posted by on September 16th, 2016  •  4 responses  • 

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:”Franchise in Credibility Free Fall”

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Time out from covering a team with troubles, the Chargers, to won that is is real trouble.

It’s the Padres, on-and-off the field.

Fighting to stay out of last place, looking right ahead at a couple of 100-loss seasons, while they try to build the farm system, we have this mess.

It had been rumored coming for a couple of weeks. I had been told General Manager AJ Preller was in ‘real hot water’ with the Commissioner’s Office.

Preller has been suspended for 30-days without pay for witholding medical information from the Boston Red Sox on the trade that sent starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz to Boston.

This comes on the heels of the Padres with holding medical informaiton on the health of pitcher Colin Rea, who was part of the Andrew Cashner-to-Miami trade.

And now rumblings the White Sox have filed a complaint about the health of pitcher James Shields, shipped to Chicago in the beginning of a housecleaning by Preller.

And reports, a 4th incident may be under investigation.

The reports say Preller ordered his medical team to keep two separate data bases on injuries, one file that would remain in house for “Padres eyes only”, the other the data sent to MLB for use by other teams in trade talks, to give them a sense on player’s health issues.

The Commissioner’s office stepped in and voided the Rea portion of the Marlins-Padres deal, ordering him back to San Diego after he tore an elbow ligament. Rea told the Marlins he has been given anti-inflammatories for his elbow, while still in San Diego’s rotation, a fact that was never in the files sent to Miami.

In Boston, GM-Dave Dombrowksi did not have data on shoulder issues with Pomeranz, though he allowed the trade to stand, he is the one who decided to make a big issue of Preller’s tactics. Dombrowski is a mover and shaker in baseball, and Preller crossed him, something Boston and now other major league teams GMs will notice.

And now in Chicago, where Shields has a (5-17) record. revelations of back issues, and insinuations, that info was not in the data base either.

The fourth club has not yet been identified, but it will.

Preller had already been in hot water with MLB for illegal off season workouts with unsigned free agents.

And this followed his 3-month suspension and a 250,000 fine for illegally tampering and signing Latin prospects while with the Texas Rangers.

His reputation preceeded him before he arrived in Texas. Fanatical work ethic. Tremendous judge of talent. Brassy negotiator. Unyielding in talks.

But like his data bases, evidentally the other file on the Padres income should have merited some attention. Things like rogue, values, ethics, business sense.

By the way, the last baseball exec who tampered with rules, Cardinals scouting Director Chris Correa, tampering with EMails of the Houston Astros, and their website, not only got fired, but is serving 2-years in jail.

Preller goes to jail in the court of public opinion. The Padres were lucky they were not slaped with a frnchise fine themselves.

The Padres put out their response using words like “oversight…unintentional…inexcusable…and no intent to mislead”. All the catch phraes you’d find in a corporate press release.

Great for them they believe in the guy they let spend 89M to sign 66-draft picks and Latin free agents. But they make it seem this was an isolated incident of bad judgement.

Can you say pre-planned with purpose? Can you say stepping over the baseball lines of right-vs-wrong, again? This does not seem to be an exception to the rule, but rather an ‘MO” of how to bend the rules.

No one else believes it, not the 4-different baseball execs I spoke to over the last two weeks, after I had heard the ‘hot water’ comment from another baseball exec.

An Ameican League exec told me this is the ‘tip of the iceberg’ about this guy. Not good, to have that many enemies in lots of places.

Know this, the Padres believe in Preller’s talents. But also know this.

The next mistake, will be his last as Padres GM.

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4 Responses to “1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Friday “What Do You Think of the Padres GM Now?”ko”

  1. jeff says:

    sorry hacksaw, your are wrong. we need to be aggressive and not make friends. It’s not a boys club anymore. I’m tired of being the MLB’s farm team.

    We should be pissed off and focused on a f’ing winner

    • Lee Hacksaw Hamilton says:

      There are standards by which you run the business…Preller keeps violating them…that’s the issue…on very thin ice

  2. Gil VonMueller says:

    Lee this is not good Business, Just saw High Heat, People are upset About A.J. Both A.J. And Fowler has to go.

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