Skipper Stam
The New Captain of the Ship
The Padres introduced Craig Stammen as their new manager yesterday and it went as well as it possibly could.
It’s not every day these days that a guy is hired to manage as many as six former teammates1, but if anyone has the clubhouse cache to do so, it’s this guy.
Stammen showed off his trademark kindness, intelligence and understanding of all perspectives and I’m sure gave many fans a glimpse into what AJ Preller has apparently known about him for quite some time now.
If the decision to hire him as Mike Shildt’s replacement caught you off guard—you certainly aren’t alone—but I think yesterday probably went a long way into providing the sort of insight that makes the whole thing far less mysterious.
On a personal level, I can’t say enough wonderful things about the person. Is being a first-time manager without any formal full-time coaching experience under your belt a unique challenge? Absolutely. Is Craig Stammen the kind of guy who can attack that head on (and more importantly with clear eyes—knowing there are things he doesn’t know)? Absolutely. Does that guarantee another 90-win season? Of course not. But with the talent on this roster and the respect and knowledge that he has, the Padres should once again be in the middle of everything in 2026.
The bigger questions at this point, quite frankly, involve the roster. And with GM meetings kicking off this week in Las Vegas, and Winter Meetings in Orlando around the corner, it’s only a matter of time before things start to happen.
So buckle up, this is just the beginning of what is yet another fascinating offseason in Padre Land.
What’s in a Name?
If you’re a regular listener of our broadcast or reader of this newsletter, you know I revel in the absurd, mundane and miniscule. You also know I don’t often shy away from wondering aloud about the sorts of things that cross my mind.
For instance, when we were in Minnesota late this season, we2 talked about Luis Arraez having worn #2 with the Twins, #3 in Miami and then #4 with the Pads and if that sort of numerological pattern was unique to him.
I’ve also brought up a few times that my unofficial research indicates that Dylan Cease has the highest uniform number ever of a guy to throw a no-hitter.
My nonsense is not limited to numerology, of course.
And so thinking about Stammen this week, it dawned on me that there are now three Major League managers with the first name “Craig” (Counsell and Albernaz, who was hired by the O’s earlier this winter being the others).
OK, so…
This is almost assuredly the first time there have been three Craigs managing at once, but what’s the record for most guys with the same first name managing at the same time? I regret to inform you I do not yet have that answer, but I will work on it between now and next newsletter, whenever that may be. You’re welcome and I’m sorry.
As of now, Craig is the only first name held by more than one Major League manager, though we’re only at 29 names right now, as the Rockies have yet to hire a skipper for 2026. So hold all tickets.
Counsell, by the way, was born in 1970, while Albernaz (‘82) and Stammen (‘84) are younger. So this isn’t even a fully era-oriented thing.
Either way, I’m done wasting your time on this particular subject (for now!), but congrats to all the Craigs out there. Neat accomplishment.
Press Conference Quick Hits
Sitting and listening to Stammen at the presser yesterday, I jotted down a few things that stood out to me…
I know that the “special assistant” jobs that you hear about around the league probably sound somewhat mysterious or nebulous to fans, but make no mistake, Stammen (along with AJ Ellis and Temecula’s finest, Allen Craig) have been around a TON the last few years. These aren’t some kind of no-show gigs to just sort of stay tangentially involved in the sport. And as Preller said yesterday, Stammen has been been highly involved in all aspects of baseball decision making the last few years. I really thought one of the key things Shildt had going for him the last couple of years was that he didn’t come in with a blank slate. He knew the guys, the vibe, all of it. And that let him hit the ground running. It should be very similar with this hire.
Preller talking about Stammen having been around for the “building teams” (pre-2020) and the playoff teams struck a chord. Just a reminder that this guy has seen sort of the before and after of what has been built here, and that should provide him some excellent perspective moving forward.
Most importantly, perhaps, Stammen went out of his way multiple times yesterday to talk about pitching coach Ruben Niebla, who was also a finalist for the managerial opening. Those two guys first got to know each other almost a decade ago in Cleveland and Stammen was rightfully gushing about Niebla and all he brings to the table. Stammen went so far as to say he would rely on Niebla more than anyone as he gets going in the new job. Make no mistake, Ruben Niebla is one of the best if not the best coach in all of baseball right now. He will almost certainly be a big league manager at some point. So Stammen and the Padres are very fortunate to be able to continue to benefit from his expertise and they are certainly aware of that fact. The respect and classiness is clearly two-way, by the way, as Ruben was front-and-center at the press conference.
Lastly, a note on pitching changes, which are definitely the kinds of things that are easiest to judge when it comes to a rookie manager. Not only is Stammen a former reliever, but because much of his career was spent as a guy who could be called upon in literally any inning, he was hyper-aware of pitching change strategy in his playing days. So he exuded a well-earned confidence about being able to handle that part of the gig.
Other Stuff!
A beautiful tribute by the Padres and the City of San Diego in honoring the late Peter Seidler. Perfectly fitting that so many of us will approach the ballpark on Peter Seidler Way for the rest of time.
Congrats to Fernando Tatis Jr. on winning not just another Gold Glove, but his second-career Platinum Glove. He has had perhaps the two most exciting defensive seasons I’ve ever seen. We are so lucky to be able to watch this guy do his thing.
2.0
Lastly, the Padres recently teased the next iteration of their City Connect uniforms with the above video (which hopefully works, I never really know on this thing), and while it doesn’t offer any direct knowledge of the uniforms, the video itself is really a tremendous little work of cinema and definitely gets the blood flowing. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
Thanks as always for reading! Until next time..
Manny, Tatis, Cronenworth, Darvish, Morejon, Musgrove, by my count
Mostly me