The San Diego Padres have appointed former relief pitcher Craig Stammen as their new manager. Stammen, 41, agreed to a three-year contract and will be taking on his first managerial position at any level of baseball.
Stammen retired from his playing career with the Padres in August 2023. Following his retirement, he worked for two seasons as an assistant to the major league coaching staff and within the baseball operations department led by general manager A.J. Preller.
He replaces Mike Shildt, who stepped down on October 13 after just two seasons with the team. Under Shildt’s leadership, the Padres reached the playoffs both years and won at least 90 games each season. Shildt cited burnout and exhaustion as reasons for his departure after the team was eliminated in a close Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs.
The Padres undertook a thorough search for their new manager, interviewing candidates such as Albert Pujols, former catcher Nick Hundley, and pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Stammen was not publicly mentioned among the candidates prior to his hiring. He becomes the fifth full-time manager for San Diego since 2016.
“Craig has been a strong presence in our organization for nearly a decade,” Preller said in a statement. “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.”
Stammen is now Major League Baseball’s only current manager who previously played as a pitcher. His professional playing career included seven seasons with the Washington Nationals followed by six with San Diego, mostly as a reliever except for his first two seasons in MLB. He ranks fifth all-time among Padres pitchers with 333 appearances.
San Diego has experienced its most successful period in franchise history recently, making four playoff appearances and recording five winning records over six years, supported by players such as Fernando Tatís Jr. and Manny Machado.
Stammen steps into his new role less than two years after Peter Seidler—former owner known for significant investments in team talent—passed away in November 2023. John Seidler now serves as chairman of the Padres.
General Manager Preller faces several key roster decisions this offseason as some players approach free agency and others deal with injuries; starters Dylan Cease and Michael King are entering free agency while Yu Darvish is expected to miss all of 2026 due to elbow surgery.
Stammen’s appointment adds to what has already been an eventful MLB offseason regarding managerial changes across several teams: The Los Angeles Angels gave Kurt Suzuki a one-year deal despite no prior managerial experience; Tony Vitello was hired by the San Francisco Giants after coaching college baseball; Blake Butera became manager of the Washington Nationals at age 33—the youngest since 1972; meanwhile, Colorado Rockies remain without a permanent manager following Warren Schaeffer’s interim tenure during their difficult season.
