SAN DIEGO -- When the Padres get to the point of choosing a manager for 2016, it will be general manager A.J. Preller's call.
San Diego team president and CEO Mike Dee said Tuesday that Preller and his baseball operations staff will principally steer the search for a full-time manager.
"This is A.J.'s decision and we'll be there to lend support, but this is his hire," Dee said. "This is his call."
Dee and Preller will meet Oct. 5, the day after the end of the regular season -- the ninth consecutive season the team hasn't advanced to the postseason -- to discuss a number of topics, the 2016 manager being one of the most critical.