The San Diego Padres introduced Craig Stammen as their 20th manager on Monday at Petco Park. Stammen, a former reliever for the team, becomes the first skipper in franchise history to spend the bulk of his playing career in the bullpen. He expressed excitement about leading the organization toward a World Series title.
Craig Stammen, 41, was formally introduced as the San Diego Padres' manager during a press conference at Petco Park on Monday. This hire replaces Mike Shildt, who retired shortly after the Padres' playoff loss to the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series. Stammen spent his final six MLB seasons as a Padres reliever, making 333 appearances, with his last year in 2023 on a Minor League contract while recovering from injury. Upon retirement, A.J. Preller, the Padres' president of baseball operations and general manager, hired him as a special assistant, where he immersed himself in franchise operations, including work with Minor League players, coaching staff, trade talks, and Draft preparation.
Stammen's path to the role was unconventional. He initially participated in interview panels for the managerial search but soon became a candidate himself. Preller recalled asking Stammen directly if he wanted the job, noting Stammen's measured response before consulting his wife, Audrey, who supported the move despite the demands on their family in Ohio with four young children.
Stammen emphasized collaboration and the organization's strengths. "The best part about this Padres organization is the people that we have and how great they are at all their jobs," he said. "This isn't a one-man Craig Stammen show. … Rely on a lot of people to have my back and create processes that lead us to the championship." His ultimate goal is to become the first Padres manager to win a World Series, calling it "the greatest challenge of this position and the most fun part about baseball."
A key aspect of Stammen's new role involves working with pitching coach Ruben Niebla, who was a finalist for the managerial position. Stammen praised Niebla highly: "Honestly, he's the guy I'm going to rely on the most. His experience -- I think he's one of the best coaches in our entire sport." Under Niebla's four seasons as pitching coach, the Padres ranked eighth in MLB in ERA at 3.76, fifth in opponents' batting average at .233, and sixth in strikeouts with 5,774. The two first crossed paths in 2016 in the Cleveland organization and reunited in San Diego in 2022. Niebla, with two years left on his contract, attended the press conference and deferred comments, saying, "Today’s Craig’s day."
Preller highlighted the mutual respect, noting recent 15-hour discussions with Stammen and Niebla to expand Niebla's duties. "He was super impressive in the whole process," Preller said of Niebla's interviews. The hire draws parallels to 1995, when scouting director Kevin Towers was promoted to GM and led the Padres to success, including the 1998 World Series.