Former Padres reliever Craig Stammen has been hired as their new manager. Stammen played for the Padres for six seasons, 2017-2022, and was highly respected and well-liked during his time with the team
as a player, and was hired as a special assistant in the player development department after his retirement. Stammen, 41, played for 12 seasons in the major leagues and retired as a Padre.
The Padres announced the signing on Thursday morning. During his time with the team as a player, Stammen was a leader in the clubhouse and not just with the pitching staff. He was widely respected with all the players and was acknowledged to be influential with many of the team’s biggest stars, including Manny Machado.
Stammen was hired over pitching coach Ruben Niebla, as well as former players Albert Pujols and Nick Hundley. None of the candidates had managerial experience at any level in MLB. Stammen has extensive knowledge of the organization and players, as did former manager Mike Shildt.
According to reporting by San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Kevin Acee, pitching coach Niebla will continue in his position and has two years remaining on his contract. Third base coach Tim Leiper and hitting coach Victor Rodriguez have both left the team, taking positions with other organizations. The rest of the coaching staff should remain intact while they search for new coaches.
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller had an interview with the Ben & Woods morning show on 97.3 FM after the announcement was made. He emphasized that Stammen has extensive knowledge of the organization as well as an ongoing relationship with everyone in the organization. He was given a three-year contract and the organization can now work on completing the coaching staff before the rest of the offseason gets underway.
The Padres released the following statement from Preller after the announcement:
“Craig has been a strong presence in our organization for nearly a decade,” Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller said. “He possesses deep organizational knowledge and brings natural leadership qualities to the Manager’s chair. As both a player and in his post-playing career, Craig has displayed an ability to elevate those around him. His strength of character, competitive nature and talent for bringing people together make him the ideal choice to lead the Padres.”
Considering that none of the candidates had managerial experience, this hire makes sense in that he comes from within the organization. As a former player and leader with the team, he doesn’t have to start from scratch developing relationships. Nor does it require the team to start over with a different philosophy or approach. Stammen is established within the organization over the past nine years, first as a player and then as an on-field advisor and consultant.
There will be an introductory press conference at Petco Park on Monday at 10 a.m..
