The San Diego Padres on Thursday announced 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 group firmly in win-now mode — however one going through main offseason challenges. San Diego has 10 free agents, 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 facet of a mutual choice.
A former pitcher with 13 years of MLB expertise, Stammen has a background that ought to serve him effectively in guiding certainly one of 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 ultimately season’s commerce deadline from the Athletics. Miller was dominant within the 2025 NL wild-card spherical, hanging out eight in 2.2 scoreless innings over two appearances, although the Padres finally fell in three video games.
Over his 13-year profession, Stammen posted a 55-44 report and three.66 ERA in 562 video games, spending his last six seasons in San Diego (2017–22). In asserting Stammen as supervisor, Padres president of baseball operations and basic supervisor A.J. Preller referred to as him “a robust presence in our group for practically a decade.”
