Craig Stammen, who will be 42 next year, pitched six seasons for the Padres before working in their front office. Christian Petersen / Getty Images
In the kind of twist that has been a hallmark of A.J. Preller’s tenure as general manager, the San Diego Padres on Thursday announced they had promoted special assistant and former reliever Craig Stammen to manager, filling the vacancy left behind when Mike Shildt resigned last month.
Stammen, a rookie skipper who will be 42 by Opening Day, is now the Padres’ 24th manager and the sixth full-time manager under Preller, whose recently uncertain contract status could be coming into focus. Preller has spoken with team chairman John Seidler about a potential extension, with team sources indicating momentum in the discussions. A new deal could be announced at or around the same time as Stammen’s formal introduction as manager.
A longtime member of the organization, Stammen, a former Washington Nationals reliever, signed a minor-league contract with the Padres after the 2016 season. He broke camp with the team the following spring and went on to establish himself as a fixture in San Diego’s bullpen, pitching to a 3.36 ERA over his final six seasons in the majors.
Before the 2024 season, Stammen rejoined the organization as a special assistant in the player development department, a role in which he also spent time around the big-league club.
This story will be updated.
Nov 6, 2025
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