A.J. Preller didn't waste any time when he took the job as San Diego Padres' general manager near the end of the season, leaving his longtime post as assistant GM to Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, his old college buddy.
In fact, Preller has been the most talked about GM in all of baseball, probably edging out Oakland's Billy Beane, but for a completely different reason — Beane is tearing the A's apart, while Preller is rebuilding the Padres into a contender.
Last week, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick released a list of 15 names who are the most interesting people in Major League Baseball for the upcoming 2015 calendar year. On that list? None other than Preller.
Preller checked in at No. 9 on the list after dominating headlines at the MLB Winter Meetings, when he traded for Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Derek Norris and Will Middlebrooks, like all in one week. That big splash had Kemp referring to his new boss as a "rockstar."
Don't think he's finished, either.
