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James Shields’ downward trend started two Octobers ago.

During the 2014 Kansas City Royals playoff run, Shields, the supposed ace of the staff, had a 6.12 ERA in 25 innings. That severely dropped his stock going into last offseason, and he ended up having to wait until days before spring training started before signing a four-year, $75 million contract with the San Diego Padres.

The disappointment continued into this season with Shields’ 3.91 ERA, 4.45 FIP and 33 home runs allowed while making half his starts in Petco Park, historically a severe pitcher’s park. Partly because of those numbers, along with the $65 million still owed to him over the next three seasons—that includes a $2 million buyout—and the Padres’ desire to shed big contracts, Shields is now on the trading block.

While the contract coupled with Shields’ recent production looks ugly at a glance, the current market for starting pitchers, even the lower-tier arms, has the soon-to-be 34-year-old Shields looking more and more attractive to teams seeking rotation help. Free-agent pitchers have their average annual values rising, and those aces being rumored in trades are priced so high they are virtually unavailable.

This could put Shields, an arm that has topped 200 innings in each of the last nine seasons, on several radars. And because of his down 2015, he could end up being a Comeback Player of the Year contender next year.

Sources: #Padres drawing significant interest in Ross, Cashner, Shields. Not surprising, considering FA prices.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 7, 2015

The open market has seen two legitimate aces sign for well more than $200 million, a pitcher with a 4.96 ERA last season and a 4.09 career ERA in Jeff Samardzija sign for $90 million and the Toronto Blue Jays give J.A. Happ and his career 4.13 ERA $36 million over three years despite him being 33.

That makes Shields a touch more attractive as a rotation filler whose average annual salary is at $18.75 million and on par with the likes of Rick Porcello ($20 million in 2016) and Homer Bailey ($18 million), two pitchers who had ERAs near or above 5.00 in 2015, respectively.

The problem could lie with the Padres, though. While teams might have interest in Shields, the organization seems to not understand his diminished value, nor their opportunity to trade him and get out from some of the money owed. The team, according to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, will not kick in any money in a trade and wants at the very least a young shortstop in return. If that is the case, expect the rumors on Shields to stay calm because that is an unrealistic asking price for a declining pitcher.

Teams that have spoken with the Padres about James Shields say they’re not looking to eat money & hope to get a young SS back (& more)

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 3, 2015

Then there is how other teams view Shields as a pitcher; never mind his salary. Simply stated, they believe he is getting worse.

In 2015, Shields’ fastball was down more than a mile per hour from last season, and his cutter was down nearly a mile per hour, according to FanGraphs. That was likely a factor in opponents having a .327 OBP, .450 slugging percentage and .776 OPS against him. All of those numbers are the highest for Shields since 2010, when he had a 5.18 ERA and he established himself as a front-line starter a season before.

Another significant red flag is Shields’ fledgling command. His 81 walks obliterated his previous career high by 13. And despite him posting a career-high 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings, his strikeout-to-walk ratio sank to a career-low 2.67—he had a career-high 4.09 mark in that category in 2014.

If those trends continue, Shields is not likely to opt out of his deal after next season, which he can do and forfeit $44 million the following two years. Had Shields pitched well enough to make him an opt-out candidate after next season, his value would be higher.

Rival execs say Shields’ velocity and stuff in decline. Also has opt-out after 2016, which could complicate talks, as @dennislin said.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 4, 2015

Even with all that working against Shields’ value and against an acquiring team getting a positive return on its investment, there is value here. Not a lot of it comes from Shields himself, other than him being a durable, innings-eating arm who may or may not have another bounce-back season in him. Instead, much of it comes from the current market.

Costs remain high for impact arms in free agency and on the trade market, which is probably why Padres general manager A.J. Preller has set Shields’ price so high, aside from him not wanting to totally eat his first significant signing in the GM’s chair.

The bottom line is nobody is going to give the Padres touted prospects and take on all of the money owed to Shields. One or the other would go a long way in propelling talks forward, but as of now there has been no confirmation on any team actively pursuing Shields, who turns 34 in a couple of weeks.

If the Padres and Preller swallow some of the contract and get out from at least the majority of the money on the books, they could likely trade Shields. And if a team could get him for cheaper than $65 million for the next few seasons, he could end up being an asset and not a liability going forward.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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Last year, the San Diego Padres systematically decimated their farm system in order to build a winning team. Now, general manager A.J. Preller is rebuilding that same farm system.

The Padres announced Wednesday they traded Marc Rzepczynski and Yonder Alonso to the Oakland Athletics for Drew Pomeranz, Jose Torres and a player to be named.

Pomeranz will likely fill a bullpen role for the Padres in 2016, but Torres, a 22-year-old left-hander, fits in with Preller‘s new strategy.

MLB.com’s Corey Brock noted how the Padres have added a number of talented prospects through trades this offseason:

The A’s obviously saw something in Torres to take a chance on him as a 16-year-old, and he started coming into his own in 2015:

Torres entered Oakland’s organization as a starter, but he eventually transitioned into a relief role. In 47 appearances across Single-A and High-A, he went 4-5 with a 2.56 ERA. According to Baseball-Reference.com, he also averaged 9.8 strikeouts and 2.8 walks per nine innings, both of which were big steps forward compared to his 2014 numbers.

According to Melissa Lockard of Oakland Clubhouse, the Padres are already familiar with Torres and what he brings to the mound:

Hardball Talk’s Matthew Pouliot believes San Diego got a nice return from Oakland given all the circumstances involved:

MLB.com graded Torres’ fastball a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and the fact it climbed a bit in speed and tops out at 96 mph was an encouraging step in his development. An overpowering fastball isn’t a requisite for success for an MLB reliever, but teams are coveting the proverbial flamethrower increasingly more throughout the league.         

Torres also boasts a slider and a changeup, but neither pitch projects to be as dominant as his fastball.

Considering both his experience to date and age, Torres is at least a few more years away from helping the Padres at the major league level unless San Diego plans on aggressively promoting him through the minors.

If he can continue building upon his progress in 2015, Torres will at the very least be a setup man for San Diego down the road.

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After spending three years as the Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach, Mark McGwire is heading down Interstate 5 to become the bench coach for the San Diego Padres. 

According to an official team press release, McGwire is joining new Padres manager Andy Green’s staff for 2016 along with Alan Zinter, Tarrik Brock, Doug Bochtler and Eddie Rodriguez.

There was increasing chatter that McGwire was going to make the jump to San Diego. Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press, via FoxSports.com, reported the former All-Star was at Petco Park on Tuesday, fraternizing with Padres coaches. 

“Various club officials, including new manager Andy Green, declined to confirm Big Mac had been hired,” Wilson wrote. “They didn’t deny it, either. Green said he has ‘nailed down’ his staff. Asked if that included McGwire, he repeated that the staff was ‘nailed down.'”   

McGwire worked with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2013-15 under Don Mattingly as part of three National League West championship teams. The Dodgers and Mattingly parted ways after this year’s National League Division Series loss to the New York Mets. 

Ironically, McGwire will be taking over the position that Dave Roberts held the previous two years following his departure to replace Mattingly as Dodgers manager. 

After retiring in 2001, McGwire has worked his way back into baseball circles after admitting he took performance-enhancing drugs during his playing days. He was the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2010-12 before moving to Los Angeles.

McGwire was one of MLB‘s most prolific power hitters over the course of his 16-year career, finishing with 583 home runs and a .588 slugging percentage.

He will be facing a tall task working primarily in Petco Park, which is notorious for hampering offense, but Green has apparently seen enough from the 52-year-old to think he can work with a talented roster that needs some grooming before it can become a playoff threat.

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Good morning/afternoon/evening, MLB offseason shoppers. While you’re browsing the ace section—ogling a Zack Greinke, drooling over a David Price, maybe checking the sticker on a Stephen Strasburg—can we interest you in something else?

Like, say, a 28-year-old right-hander who racked up 212 strikeouts in 196 innings with a 3.26 ERA last season and is under team control through 2017?

What’s that? Your interest is piqued? Well, step right up and take a gander at Tyson Ross.

The San Diego Padres stud hasn’t received the buzz that’s swirled around the big free-agent aces, such as Price, Greinke and Johnny Cueto, or the prime (potential) trade targets, including Strasburg and the New York Mets‘ Matt Harvey.

Hype is hard to quantify, of course. And Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer did slot Ross at No. 19 on his list of the winter’s top 100 free agents and trade targets. But when you scan that collection of coveted arms again, doesn’t Ross feel like the guy you’ve heard the least about?

Still, he’s got the stuff and recent track record to belong in that elite group. And the Friars are indeed “shopping” him, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

It’d take a sparkling package of prospects, possibly even sparklier than the one the Boston Red Sox sent to San Diego to acquire closer Craig Kimbrel. But it’d be worth it.

Ross debuted with the Oakland A’s in 2010 and has spent three seasons with the Padres, so his profile isn’t as high as it would have been had he been doing his thing in New York, Boston or even up the freeway in Los Angeles.

But make no mistake: This is one of the most talented pitchers in baseball, and he’s ripe for the picking.

After flashing promise, Ross truly broke out in 2014, posting a 2.81 ERA with 195 strikeouts in 195.2 innings and making his first All-Star team.

Last season, he battled command issues and coughed up an MLB-leading 84 walks. But he also averaged an eye-opening, career-best 9.73 strikeouts per nine innings. And if you like WAR, his mark of 4.4 was likewise a career high, per FanGraphs.

Ross is, simply put, the kind of big, bat-missing talent any general manager with a hole near the top of his rotation would covet.

Before the Kimbrel deal was consummated, a Ross trade was “discussed heavily” between the Red Sox and Padres, per Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan. Even now, Ross-to-Beantown isn’t an impossibility, as Boston has plenty of trade chips left in its enviably deep farm system.

The Chicago Cubs tried to land Ross at the 2015 trade deadline, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reported at the time, and have the pieces to pursue him now.

Really, all of the clubs that are reported to be in on Greinke and Price figure to at least inquire about Ross. That’s a list that includes, but is by no means limited to, the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.

And unlike the aforementioned Strasburg and Harvey, a Ross trade feels like more than wild hot-stove speculation.

Here’s an interesting wrinkle: As Rosenthal noted, the Pads are also shopping outfielder Matt Kemp, who played 154 games last year and drove in 100 runs but has been plagued by injuries and is owed gobs of cash through 2019.

It’s possible San Diego would consider a slightly less robust return for Ross if another club was willing to eat Kemp’s onerous contract as well.

Really, though, all of this hinges on whether the Kimbrel-to-Boston trade, along with the deal that sent setup man Joaquin Benoit to the Seattle Mariners, is the start of an all-out fire sale. 

It might not be, as Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune outlined:

That Ross trade talk? Know that a contract extension is part of the discussion in the front office, as is listening when teams call on a 28-year-old right-hander with two more years of control.

Because, of course, they’re gonna call.

So Padres general manager A.J. Preller is weighing his options. After going all-in last winter and watching the Friars finish a disappointing fourth in the National League West, Preller has to decide if he wants to tinker, reload or blow it all up and start over.

“We have some flexibility financially looking at the free-agent market,” Preller told Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller after the Kimbrel trade. “We’re looking to be a championship organization, and this gives us a chance to move some money around and invest in different areas, and we’re looking forward to doing that.”

That’s a cagey, politician’s non-answer and leaves all doors open. Really, it might behoove Preller to hang on to Ross until next winter, when he will still have a year left before free agency and the pool of available arms will be much shallower. 

But if Preller does press the rebuild button now, Ross will rocket to the top of a lot of GMs‘ wish lists. 

The shelves may be sagging with aces, but this is one prize MLB’s winter shoppers can’t afford to overlook.

All statistics and contract information current as of Nov. 19 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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It appears San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is back to his old tricks.

After making a series of blockbuster trades last offseason, Preller just made two trades in two days, acquiring middle infielder Jose Pirela from the New York Yankees and shipping Joaquin Benoit to the Seattle Mariners.

While these November deals don’t grab the headlines the way that some of the aggressive GM’s trades have in the past, they still point to the fact that Preller is quickly getting to work.

But how do you fix a team that has multiple holes and is coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history? Where do you even begin?

As MLB Network analyst Tom Verducci said on MLB Now, the Padres’ plan is anyone’s guess.

On paper, the Benoit trade seems like a bit of a head-scratcher. Why trade away one of your most dependable relief options when your team ranked 23^rd in the majors in bullpen ERA last season?

Clearly, as Ron Darling alluded to in the video above, Preller is looking to get younger and more balanced. After trading away so many prospects last offseason, it is a very smart move to attempt to retool the farm system. 

Obtaining 19-year-old right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos and 23-year-old middle infielder Nelson Ward in exchange for Benoit certainly helps in restocking the system.

But given Preller’s track record with trades, some people, including San Diego Union-Tribune Padres beat writer Dennis Lin, remain weary of the trigger-happy Preller:

What makes the Benoit deal all the more confounding is that, as MLB.com executive correspondent Richard Justice points out in the MLB video below, most people think the Padres are still in win-now mode. Isn’t that what the Matt Kemp acquisition was all about?

In an interview on MLB Network’s Hot Stove on Thursday, Preller said that the front office is going to remain aggressive in the international market while seeking infield support. 

“It’s no secret we are out there looking for help, specifically at shortstop,” Preller told Matt Vasgersian. “You’re always looking for guys who can make you strong up the middle.”

While shortstop Andrelton Simmons is no longer available after being acquired by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim via trade on Thursday, there are some veteran-type players available on the free-agent market such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Alexei Ramirez and Jimmy Rollins.

Either middle infielder would be an improvement over current option Alexi Amarista, who hit only .204 last season with an OBP of .257. In five years, he is a .227 career hitter.

As the Simmons trade shows, obtaining an elite shortstop in a deal means sacrificing a ton in exchange. Given the current state of the Padres farm system, it may be more advisable to seek upgrades via free agency instead.

Another issue that needs to get addressed this offseason is the Padres’ lack of depth in the rotation. There’s also the fact that their lineup is too right-handed heavy, as Preller points out during the Hot Stove interview.

A one-two combo of James Shields and Tyson Ross at the top of the rotation is formidable, but who is going to fill the No. 4 and No. 5 spots after Andrew Cashner’s turn? 

Right-handed starter Ian Kennedy rejected the Padres’ qualifying offer on Friday and will become a free agent, as expected. Meanwhile, internal options seem meek and inexperienced.

Look for Preller to explore outside talent, either by trade or free agency, for one or two additional starters, especially a lefty.

As for left-handed bats, the Padres got a bit of bad news on Friday when outfielder Colby Rasmus accepted the Houston Astros‘ $15.8 million qualifying offer to return to the club in 2016.

The lefty power hitter would have been a good fit for the Padres post-Justin Upton lineup. On the final day of the 2015 season, the Padres scorecard featured only two left-handed hitters, Amarista and Travis Jankowski. 

After the Padres ended up winning three fewer games (77) than they did in 2014, there is a lot of work to be done for Preller and Co.

Beyond Craig Kimbrel, the bullpen is one serious weak spot.

Beyond Shields, Ross and Cashner, the rotation has holes as well.

On the offensive side, San Diego is hoping to get a boost from a healthy Wil Myers, but they still lack an impact left-handed bat to balance the lineup and make it more difficult for opposing pitchers to match up against.

As Verducci alluded to in the video above, it’s tough to decipher where Preller is going with this thing. It is still extremely early in the offseason, and we don’t have much to go off of, but if last year was any indication, he may be very active again.

As for whether that means dealing more major league talent (such as Benoit) away, or adding a couple big names via trade, we will just have to wait and see. 

Similar to the Oakland Athletics’ Billy Beane, Preller has emerged as one of the most unpredictable GMs in the game.

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The San Diego Padres announced have found their next manager, as the team hired Arizona Diamondbacks third base coach Andy Green. 

B/R’s Scott Miller initially reported Green’s hiring, and the team confirmed on Twitter the new manager will be introduced at a press conference Thursday. 

Miller added that former Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and current Pittsburgh Pirates third base coach Rick Sofield both had two interviews with the Padres before they decided to go with Green. 

“I am thrilled to be sitting here and couldn’t be more proud to be in a city like San Diego,” Green said, per the Padres.

General Manager A.J. Preller spoke about the hiring in the team’s announcement:

“Andy has the combination of intelligence and feel for the game that we are looking for to lead this team. As a player, he displayed a strong work ethic and even stronger passion, earning everything he achieved. That passion has carried over into his managerial and Major League coaching career. We are excited to welcome him to the Padres family and look forward to the success he will help bring to San Diego.”

Even though Green doesn’t have Major League Baseball managerial experience, Miller did note he’s had recent success as a skipper in the minors:

The Padres were one of the biggest disappointments in baseball last season, finishing 74-88 despite having a banner offseason in which they acquired Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, James Shields, Craig Kimbrel and Wil Myers. 

The offensive firepower did, for the most part, payoff. San Diego finished eighth in MLB with 650 runs scored, the first time it has finished in the top 20 since 2007.

However, one problem moving forward for Green is that Preller has built a roster with Kemp being paid $21.75 million for each of the next four seasons, Melvin Upton owed $33.1 million for the next two seasons, Shields signed a backloaded contract that pays him $21 million per season through 2018.

Preller seemed to be primed for a lot of moves at the trade deadline in July, but opted to stay put with the roster he built. This isn’t a big market franchise, yet they have six players under contract for 2016, not including players with options or eligible for arbitration making $71.9 million. 

Assuming all seven of the arbitration-eligible players return, that leaves 12 roster spots open for a franchise that had never spent more than $100 million in total payroll since last season. 

If ownership is confident in Preller’s plan, the Padres could go well into nine figures next season hoping that it works in ways that it didn’t this season. Green’s relationship with Preller and what the two of them decide is best for the franchise will be critical for the immediate and long-term direction. 

Bud Black, who had been San Diego’s manager since 2007, was fired in June and replaced by interim Pat Murphy. 

Speaking after the season, when it was announced Murphy wouldn’t get the full-time job, Padres general manager Preller described the qualities he was looking for in his next manager, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

“The biggest thing we’re looking for is somebody that has presence, somebody that has energy, somebody to get our players to play at high level, somebody the players are going to respect and want to play for, somebody the organization can rally around and can establish a culture,” he said. 

Preller, who took over as Padres GM in August 2014, now has the manager he hired in place, and the focus can shift to the offseason. 

The team’s experiment to add marquee, expensive players to compete for a playoff spot didn’t work last year. Green will have a lot of those players back, with Upton the biggest-name free agent, but Preller will have to do more roster tinkering this winter if he wants to help his manager be a success. 

Salary and contract info via Cot’s Baseball Contracts

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The San Diego Padres were one of the biggest disappointments during the 2015 season, and their underwhelming play cost manager Bud Black his job. After also letting interim manager Pat Murphy go at the end of the year, the Padres are beginning to set their sights on a handful of potential permanent replacements.  

Continue for updates.

Padres Begin Interview Process with Candidates

Tuesday, Oct. 13

Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported San Diego is showing interest in former Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, but he’s far from the only person the front office is looking at.

The Padres are apparently casting a wide net in terms of resumes. Whereas Gardenhire spent 13 years in charge of the Twins, general manager A.J. Preller is also considering former infielder Alex Cora, per CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman, and Phil Nevin, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale.

Neither Cora nor Nevin can boast any previous managerial experience in MLB, but Nevin has at least coached in the minors since 2009. He’s one of the hotter candidates across the league, with Nightengale adding the Washington Nationals, the Miami Marlins and the Seattle Mariners all have him on their radars.

While Gardenhire, Cora and Nevin all have their respective strengths, the Twins lost 90-plus games in Gardenhire’s final four years, and Matt Williams is proof positive hiring first-time managers like Cora or Nevin is a risky proposition, especially for teams that want to win immediately.

Preller is undoubtedly in a difficult situation. The Padres will be paying big money to Matt Kemp, Craig Kimbrel and James Shields next year. Plus, Preller traded a number of the organization’s best prospects, so it’s not as if a lot of talent will be coming through the pipeline in the next season or two.

Fans might expect the team to contend in 2016, heaping even more pressure on the general manager to get this decision correct.

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The San Diego Padres finished with a 42-54 record under interim manager Pat Murphy, which wasn’t enough for him to secure the job on a full-time basis next year. The team announced on the final day of the regular season, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, that Murphy will not return as manager next year.

The Padres didn’t say Murphy would be jettisoned from the organization completely, but he could bolt if given the opportunity. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the Milwaukee Brewers could make a push for Murphy’s services:

In June, Murphy took over as the Padres manager following the firing of Bud Black. The 56-year-old Murphy had previously coached San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas.

Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller reported Saturday the Padres may look to the minor leagues again to find Murphy’s replacement, identifying Phil Nevin as a possible candidate. According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, San Diego may have some serious competition:

Nevin played six-plus seasons for the Padres between 1999 and 2005. Following the end of his playing career, the 44-year-old joined the managerial ranks. In seven years across independent ball, Double-A and Triple-A, he has compiled a 442-495 record.

The Padres could also pursue proven options like Dusty Baker or Rick Renteria, both of whom are without teams. Renteria has history in San Diego, where he was the team’s bench coach before becoming the Chicago Cubs manager.

The Padres’ choice could indicate what the team expects to do in 2016. In all likelihood, San Diego will lose its best position player, Justin Upton, in free agency but retain a number of key veterans from this year’s squad.

General manager A.J. Preller was aggressive in the offseason last year in his attempts to make San Diego a winner in 2015, and hiring Baker, Renteria or another manager with MLB experience would signal that he intends to contend in 2016.

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The 2015 season is a lost cause for the San Diego Padres, and they received more unfortunate news Tuesday when Matt Kemp was forced to leave the game against the Milwaukee Brewers with an injury.

Continue for updates.

Melvin Upton Jr. Replaces Kemp

Tuesday, Sept. 29

Kemp had two at-bats Tuesday, but the team noted he left the contest with soreness in his right hand. It was a disappointing development for the outfielder in the same game he knocked in his 100th RBI of the season.

“Soft tissue issue in his hand, swollen,” manager Pat Murphy said after the game, per the team. “Will have an MRI tomorrow. He wanted to continue, we thought best to take him out.”

Melvin Upton Jr. pinch hit for Kemp to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning after the injury.

What Kemp’s Absence Means for the Padres

Tuesday, Sept. 29 

Kemp has been a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster campaign for the Padres. The team traded for him this offseason, and he has 23 home runs, 12 steals and the 100 RBI on the year. Corey Brock of MLB.com noted it was the first time Kemp reached the 100 RBI mark since 2011.

Upton Jr. is a veteran who has been in the league since 2004. He is not that far removed from the 2012 campaign when he drilled 28 home runs and stole 31 bases for the Tampa Bay Rays. While he has been nowhere near that player this season (.243 batting average, with five home runs and 17 RBI entering Tuesday’s game), he can at least play out the string for the Padres if Kemp cannot return.

San Diego sits in fourth place in the National League West and has long been eliminated from playoff contention. There is no reason for Kemp to risk further injury by returning this year unless he is 100 percent healthy.

It is far more important for the Padres that he is ready to go by the start of spring training in 2016.

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An already frustrating season in San Diego took another hit earlier this month when Major League Baseball fined the San Diego Padres an undisclosed amount for holding an illegal international workout this summer, according to Bleacher Report sources.

Kim Ng, MLB senior vice president, declined to comment when reached Monday. Padres president Mike Dee also declined to comment, saying he considers it a “closed matter.”

The workout was held in Aruba in June, not long before the international signing period opened in July, multiple sources with knowledge of the workout told Bleacher Report. The Padres paid for flights for prospects from Venezuela and some of their parents, furnishing them with airfare, hotels and meals, the sources said.

According to MLB rules, it is forbidden to take prospects who are at an age level not yet eligible for that year’s international signing period out of their native country.

This is not the first time Padres general manager A.J. Preller has run afoul of MLB’s international rules. He reportedly was suspended for one month in the late 2000s for an incident in the Dominican Republic when he was working for Texas, a suspension that was reduced from three months after the Rangers appealed. The Texas club also reportedly paid a $50,000 fine.

Preller came to San Diego with a reputation for being highly successful in finding and acquiring international talent. The Padres said when they hired him last August that part of the reason they settled on Preller was because they wanted to aggressively pursue international talent.

Despite this summer’s infraction, sources say, Preller‘s job in San Diego is not in jeopardy. The Padres signed him to a five-year deal last August, and Padres sources reaffirmed the club’s intent to continue working hard to develop a fertile pipeline of talent internationally.

Ng declined to detail any investigation “of the Padres or any other major league club.”

Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

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