Major League Baseball suspends Padres GM Preller 30 days over Pomeranz trade

The league conducted an investigation into the Padres over the trade that sent Drew Pomeranz to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza. He previously worked for the Rangers and, when Preller was overseeing their global operations in 2010, he was suspended for violations of baseball rules regarding signings.

“At this point, it is an ongoing review, and we will refrain from comment until the process has concluded and we receive formal notification of the outcome from MLB”, Wilson said, per Olney.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that the Padres are now being investigated by Major League Baseball for improperly logging medical information about their players, for the express objective of gaining an advantage over other teams during trade talks.

MLB uses one central medical system where teams are supposed to record everything from major injuries to precautionary visits to the training room so other teams can access this information for trades.

“We believe that there was no intent on the part of A.J. Preller or other members of our baseball operations staff to mislead other clubs”.

The athletic trainers were told that by splitting the medical files into two categories, the Padres would benefit in trade discussions, two sources with direct knowledge of those meetings said.

The Padres said in a statement that they accept the discipline and will change their medical record-keeping procedures.

The Padres first found themselves in hot water after the July 29 trade that sent pitchers Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea to the Miami Marlins. Rea departed his first start as a Marlin in the fourth inning due to elbow discomfort, and a subsequent MRI revealed ligament damage that ultimately required a platelet-rich plasma injection and may eventually lead to Tommy John surgery.

According to Olney’s report, the trainers were told before the season began that the separate files provided a way for the Padres to improve their position for possible trades.

Major League Baseball has been investigating the San Diego Padres for intentionally concealing medical information on their players from both the league and from potential trade partners, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.

He was hired by San Diego in August 2014, after years of developing a reputation for being one of the sport’s best and most adept scouts.