The San Diego Padres on Thursday introduced the hiring of their twenty second supervisor, naming former big-league reliever Craig Stammen as their subsequent skipper. The 41-year-old, who signed a three-year deal, has no managerial expertise. He replaces Mike Shildt, who not too long ago retired.
Stammen takes over a Padres staff firmly in win-now mode — however one dealing with main offseason challenges. San Diego has 10 free brokers, together with starters Dylan Stop and Michael King and nearer Robert Suarez. Suarez opted out of the ultimate two years of his $16 million contract, whereas King declined his aspect of a mutual possibility.
A former pitcher with 13 years of MLB expertise, Stammen has a background that ought to serve him properly in guiding one among baseball’s finest pitching staffs. The Padres ranked sixth within the majors with a 3.72 ERA from their starters and first with a 3.06 bullpen ERA in 2025.
Even with Suarez departing, San Diego nonetheless boasts elite arms — most notably right-hander Mason Miller, acquired eventually season’s commerce deadline from the Athletics. Miller was dominant within the 2025 NL wild-card spherical, putting out eight in 2.2 scoreless innings over two appearances, although the Padres in the end fell in three video games.
Over his 13-year profession, Stammen posted a 55-44 file and three.66 ERA in 562 video games, spending his ultimate six seasons in San Diego (2017–22). In saying Stammen as supervisor, Padres president of baseball operations and normal supervisor A.J. Preller referred to as him “a powerful presence in our group for practically a decade.”
