SAN DIEGO -- For better or worse, the backbone of the Padres as an organization is firmly in place for the better part of the next half decade.
The Padres' brass made that much clear earlier this year by extending first baseman William Myers and manager Andy Green, and they reinforced that notion on Sunday with the announcement of a three-year contract extension for general manager A.J. Preller.
Preller spoke with the media on Monday regarding his extension, which runs through the 2022 season. "Stability" was a constant refrain.

Indeed, the Padres -- as currently constructed -- are here to stay. Preller and Green were each given three additional seasons to see their vision through, and nearly every on-field piece involved in that vision is under team control during that span.
"There's stability," Preller said. "We have a group where there's some talent on the field and in the system. This gives us opportunity in the next few years to see through the plan and bring winning baseball back to San Diego."

As it stands, the Padres (and their full 40-man roster) do not have a single player bound for free agency after the 2018 season. Only three -- Brad Hand, Clayton Richard and Carter Capps -- are poised to hit the open market after '19.
Meanwhile, most of the key foundational pieces are locked up through at least 2022. First baseman Myers, center fielder Manuel Margot and catcher Austin Hedges each have five years of team control remaining.

Of course there's the not-so-small matter of the Padres' recent on-field results. Sure, there's going to be continuity in San Diego, but how much is that worth for a team coming off 91- and 94-loss seasons under Preller and Green?
That's a concern that the Padres hope is mitigated by their revamped farm system. With prospects like Fernando Tatis Jr., Cal Quantrill and Luis Urias nearing the Majors, Preller and the Padres believe their long-term plan is nearing fruition.
"All it means is that we've got a foundation, and we've got some young players that we're excited about," Preller said. "But we've got a lot of work left to do in the future."

The building blocks are in place, Preller said, and he's hopeful the club is in regular contention soon. First, the Padres must develop their young talent and make the right acquisitions via trades and free agency. Until then, they've assured themselves of a roster with very little turnover.
"When you find people that have ability, then create stability and people that work well together, it gives you some measure of consistency that leads to a lot of success," Preller said.
Johnson to serve as infield coach
The Padres rounded out their 2018 coaching staff on Monday, by announcing that Josh Johnson will serve as infielders coach next season. Not to be confused with the former big league right-hander, the 31-year-old Johnson spent the last two seasons coaching in the Minors with the Nationals organization.
Johnson takes over his role from Jonathan Mathews, who will be re-assigned within the organization. Mathews spent one season as the Padres' infield coach.
In addition to Johnson, the Padres have already added Matt Stairs (hitting coach) and Skip Schumaker (first-base coach) to their staff this winter.