A.J. Preller put a check mark next to the first item on his off-season to-do list.
The Padres general manager has also been working on completing his most crucial winter task.
Making his roster better.
“That’s the most important part of the process is players,” Preller said Friday.
This has always been atop the list, foremost in the mind of everyone from the clubhouse to the owners’ suite. The front office has been working a dual track in October (actually since the latter part of the season), assessing the roster, as well as potential free agent and trade targets, while also conducting a manager search.