Craig Stammen had to be coaxed into throwing his hat in the ring after sitting in on the initial round of interviews as one of A.J. Preller’s lieutenants.
Whatever desire he had to become a manager before starting down that path with the Padres, the former reliever certainly exuded traits as a player that lent themselves to leading a group of men.
Stammen is the latest former Padre to become a manager in recent years, joining Will Venable (White Sox), Mark Kotsay (Athletics) and Dave Roberts (Dodgers).
Who could be next? More than a handful of Padres pegged hometown hero Joe Musgrove as manager material.
“I think he just has a presence to him,” first baseman Gavin Sheets said. “I think guys would play hard for him. I think they respect him.”
Musgrove has performed on the biggest of stages, from throwing the franchise’s first no-hitter to dismissing the Mets in a decisive wild-card game in 2022 to taking the ball in Game 4 of that year’s NLDS against the Dodgers to willing himself through elbow pain late during the team’s 2024 run.
Musgrove required Tommy John surgery that has yet to allow him to return to a big-league mound, but he’s hardly been a wallflower. His Camp 44 has become an annual offseason staple that serves as the team’s first bonding opportunity.
In short, the 33-year-old San Diegan has always been more than just a pitcher in the clubhouse.
“It seems like even though he’s not playing at the moment, he’s always looking around and very into everything that’s going on,” rookie reliever Bradgley Rodriguez said through interpreter Jorge Merlos. “It feels like when he’s out of baseball, that is something he could get into.”
Bradgley Rodriguez, Michael King, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove stretch during Padres spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 in Peoria, Ariz.. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Jason Adam sees veteran Yu Darvish in the same light. The 40-year-old veteran hasn’t had quite the everyday presence that Musgrove has had while recovering from his own Tommy John surgery, but he’s been invested in Randy Vásquez’s development from the moment he stepped into the organization to Michael King’s free agency this offseason.
“I think he’s a super smart, all-around baseball mind,” Adam said. “Everyone loves him.”
King drew similar compliments as potentially both a future manager and perhaps a general manager.
“I think he’s just really well-rounded,” pitcher Griffin Canning said, “and understands the game.”
King scoffed at the suggestion, deciding instead to nominate a position player on the other side of the clubhouse: Ty France.
Some say a good manager is someone who can relate to the top and bottom of a depth chart, and France has been both. The former 34th-round pick was an All-Star and a Gold Glover before breathing new life into his career this year on a minor league deal.
“Good communicator,” King said. “He could motivate both pitchers and position players. I feel like he has his stake in each person and would be able to connect with each individual person in the clubhouse.”
Added reliever Kyle Hart: “He just knows the game.”
Several Padres think Jake Cronenworth might also have a future in baseball after his playing days. He’s already in a leadership position in the players’ union and is known by his teammates as someone who’s always in the know when it comes to in-game moves.
“His focus; he likes to see everything,” catcher Freddy Fermin said.
Added Jackson Merrill: “He’s always thinking two steps ahead.”
Likewise, Sheets — the son of a former major leaguer — has taken an interest in the intricacies of the game. He has already been heralded by his teammates as someone who connects all corners of a clubhouse.
“He’s extremely knowledgeable with the game,” France said. “While we’re in the dugout, he’s thinking along with the game and trying to predict moves and stuff like that.”
Told that some of his teammates believed he was manager material, France laughed.
“I asked Gavin if I could be his bench coach,” he said. “That’s as far as I’ll go.”