After a bit of searching, the San Diego Padres have found their newest manager. They have decided to go with Craig Stammen, and he will lead the ship here for the next three seasons.
Stammen is familiar with the organization, as he played for the Padres from 2017 to 2022 as a pitcher. He decided to retire after the 2022 season and caught on with the club in 2024 as an assistant to the major league coaching staff and baseball operations department.
The hiring has the fanbase split. While some are happy to see them hire someone so familiar with the organization, others were hoping the team would choose Albert Pujols to lead the team. Now with only the Colorado Rockies looking for a manager, Pujols' chances to lead an MLB team in 2026 are getting slim.
Former MLB catcher questions Craig Stammen's ability to lead the Padres
Former MLB catcher Erik Kratz spent 11 years in the big leagues, playing for nine different teams. He understands what it takes to make a club successful, and questioned if Stammen was the right person for the job, via Foul Territory.
"How much does he know the other ins and outs of pushing a Manny Machado, pushing a Xander Bogaerts, pulling back the reins on a Fernado Tatis Jr.? Like, that's the kind of stuff that he's going to have to navigate that I think sometimes pitchers don't always have the experience, the insight."
As a former pitcher, Kratz questions Stammen's ability to make the right decision when it comes to fielders and the offense. However, the front office hired him for a reason, and they have full confidence that he is the perfect man to have leading the ship.
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