Padres Hire Ex-Reliever Craig Stammen as New Manager

It’s safe to say that Stammen is well-known in San Diego. Stammen spent six seasons with the Padres as part of their bullpen, part of a 13-year MLB career that saw him split time between San Diego and the Washington Nationals. The 41-year-old was a highly-effective reliever, thanks to his sinker, slider, and curveball.

Stammen’s hiring follows a familiar trend across MLB: hiring recently-retired players as manager. The 41-year-old Stammen retired just two years ago, and played with many of the Padres currently on the roster, like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, and Joe Musgrove, among others.

Stephen Vogt was hired as Cleveland manager one year after he retired from his playing days, while Kurt Suzuki — who played his last MLB game in 2022 — was just hired as Angels manager.

Stammen beat out other potential candidates for the job. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported a week earlier that Albert Pujols, Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla, and former Padres catcher Nick Hundley were among the finalists. That report also cited a fourth, unknown finalist.

He’ll take over a Padres team that finished 90-72 in 2025, albeit one that’ll look different. Michael King, Dylan Cease, and Luis Arraez are among the team’s free agents.

Stammen becomes the Padres’ fourth manager since 2020. He also became the eighth manager to be hired this winter.