The San Diego Padres went on a goodwill and scouting trip last month to Japan in hopes of finding the next Ichiro Suzuki or Hideki Matsui. They also did reportedly meet with target third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda according to reports.
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A.J. Preller was known for his international scouting with the Texas Rangers, and this is the latest move as the Padres expand their own scouting operations across the globe.
Recently, Takashi Saito was brought on as a front office intern, and last year Acey Kohrogi was hired as an international assistant to help facilitate relations for the Padres with clubs in the region.