AJ Preller and the Padres interest in Anderson Espinoza was not a spur of the moment type deal.
According to an interview with Mike Dee of the Padres by Jeff Sanders of the Union Tribune, the Padres had long sought after Espinoza. It is reported that the Padres made two efforts to land him. One was at last year’s trade deadline. Another was during the Kimbrel trade negotiations.
This recent news underscores what AJ is trying to do, building a team for 2018 and beyond. Trading Drew Pomeranz was not some “willy nilly” trade.