President of baseball operations A.J. Preller says he wouldn’t change a thing about the San Diego Padres’ infamous Juan Soto trade.
More than two years removed from one of the biggest blockbusters in recent MLB history, Preller reflected on the deal that sent CJ Abrams, James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, and a handful of other prospects to the Nationals for Soto and Josh Bell.
Despite San Diego falling short of a championship and ultimately trading Soto again just 17 months later, Preller made it clear he has no regrets about the trade.
Preller looks back on the Soto deal “with pride and not regret,” said Thursday per The Athletic’s Dennis Lin. From his view, the trade accomplished exactly what it was supposed to. It helped energize a contending roster in 2022 and pushed the Padres to the National League Championship Series. That alone gave the franchise a deep October run it hadn’t seen in nearly a generation.
Soto wasn’t the only reason they got there, but he played a major role in solidifying the lineup and drawing national attention to a team that had struggled to stay relevant.
How Soto Trade Fit Into Padres’ Bigger Picture
The following year, things didn’t go as planned. San Diego stumbled in 2023 and missed the playoffs despite having one of the most expensive rosters in baseball. Soto still produced at a high level, but the team never fully clicked.
By the offseason, the club decided to retool and traded Soto to the Yankees, a move that brought back several key players, including Michael King and Drew Thorpe.
While the trade marked the end of Soto’s time in San Diego, Preller still sees the full sequence — from acquisition to departure — as a reflection of the organization’s ability to scout, develop, and manage high-value assets.
Preller emphasized that trading for Soto in 2022 was only possible because the Padres had built up a deep and talented farm system. That group included Abrams, now the Nationals’ starting shortstop, and Wood, who recently made his MLB debut and is one of the game’s top young power hitters.
Gore has developed into a solid starter, and Robert Hassell III remains a name to watch. To Preller, just being in position to make such a trade showed the strength of San Diego’s front office and scouting department.
When that competitive window started to close, they were able to pivot and get value back. That aggressive style has defined Preller’s approach for years. In this case, even without a ring, he believes the move was worth it.
Preller Defends The Process, Even Ringless
Now in 2025, with Soto starring in New York and several former Padres prospects thriving in Washington, the deal is back under the microscope. But for Preller, it was never just about the long-term outlook. It was about going all-in to win in the moment.
And in 2022, the Padres did exactly that. They knocked out the 101-win Mets. They shocked the Dodgers in the NLDS. They got within reach of the World Series. That postseason run, Preller believes, made the gamble worthwhile.
Soto’s time in San Diego didn’t end with a championship, but it helped redefine the franchise. It proved the Padres could compete on baseball’s biggest stage. It showed they were serious about winning. And it brought playoff baseball back to Petco Park in a way fans hadn’t seen in decades.
Preller has made bold moves before. Some have worked, some have not. But when it comes to the Soto trade, there’s no backpedaling. No second-guessing. He’d do it all over again.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Padres GM Reveals Why He Still Stands By Juan Soto Trade appeared first on Heavy Sports.