San Diego Padres fans not pleased to hear GM A.J. Preller and manager Bob Melvin will be back in 2024: "So no one gets held accountable"

Despite laying claim to the third-highest payroll in baseball, the San Diego Padres got nowhere near the playoffs. This has understandably led many of the team's fans to call for some significant structural changes.

Ahead of the season, the team looked set to make big waves. In addition to signing Gold Glove shortstop Xander Bogaerts, 2021 NL home run champ Fernando Tatis was to be back in the lineup after a year-long hiatus.

Unfortunately, things never came together. In addition to finishing third in the NL West, startling reports of a "toxic environment" in the Padres' clubhouse caused much consternation. Eventually, blame for the entire debacle came down on manager Bob Melvin, and by extension, GM AJ Preller.

After the Padres' finished the season with a record of 82-80, Melvin was considered a prime candidate to be fired. Not only did the Padres finish 18 games back of the Dodgers in their division, but also two games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who made the postseason as a Wild Card team.

On Oct. 3, GM AJ Preller shocked everyone when he announced that Bob Melvin will be coming back in his capacity as manager for 2024. For San Diego Padres fans, the news was not what they wanted to hear.

"A.J. Preller announced that he and Bob Melvin will return to the Padres in 2024, per @AJCassavell

Many blame 24-year-old Fernando Tatis Jr. and his attitude for the purported issues with the clubhouse. 2022 AL MVP runner up Manny Machado was even seen mouthing "it's not all about you" to Tatis in a midseason dugout exchange. The onus, many felt, fell on Melvin to resolve these issues.

However, reports of clubhouse tensions continued to surface. After the season, outfielder Juan Soto called out his teammates' work ethic, which was largely seen as another slight against Melvin's management. After the disastrous season, San Diego Padres fans are now starting to think that 2024 will appear to be more similar to 2023 than many would have hoped.

AJ Preller has not been immune from the wrath of his fanbase. At the Aug. 1 trade deadline, the San Diego Padres' playoff odds stood at below 50%. Regardless, Preller refused to trade Josh Hader and Blake Snell, who won the 2018 Cy Young Award with the Tampa Bay Rays. Many believe that trading these pending free agents would have been a solid move from Preller's perspective.

Bob Melvin has his work cut out for him with 2024 San Diego Padres

Big personalities, big egoes. Somehow, Melvin must find a way to prove to fans that 2023 was just a fluke, and that his team can do better. Unfortunately, reputation can sometimes be even more important than performance. They might not be as bad as the New York Mets, but the San Diego Padres have left a sour taste in the mouths of their fans, and shaking it will take some hard work.