The San Diego Padres are making a big move by hiring Craig Stammen as their new manager. Stammen’s three-year deal, which he signed on November 6, 2025, is an exciting new beginning for the organization after Mike Shildt retired in October. Stammen is going straight to the big leagues without ever managing anywhere else.
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Stammen’s strong ties to San Diego baseball make this move interesting. The former reliever pitched in the big leagues for thirteen years, six of which he spent wearing a Padres uniform from 2017 to 2022. He knows this organization inside and out because he has been in the clubhouse and knows what it takes to compete at the highest level.
Who is Craig Stammen?
Craig Stammen’s career in professional baseball is a story of doing many things and not giving up. Born in North Star, Ohio, the Washington Nationals noticed him when they drafted him straight out of the University of Dayton in 2005.
When Stammen made it to the majors in 2009, the Nationals tested him as both a starter and a reliever. This gave him the freedom to pitch in different roles, which would define his early career. But baseball doesn’t always go as planned, and a forearm injury stopped his progress with Washington.
Stammen’s career literally took off when he signed with the San Diego Padres in 2016. His turning point.
During his six seasons with the team, he became a serious presence in the bullpen, pitching with a 3.66 ERA and becoming a locker room leader.
This is a developing story.