Stammen\u2019s playing days are over. The man who spent 13 years pitching in the major leagues, the final six of them as a reliever for the Padres, does not plan to even throw batting practice in his new role. His velocity has returned to some extent, but he has what he calls a \u201cshort\u201d in his throwing shoulder that occasionally causes his pitches to go nowhere near where he intended.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery once in a while, it short-circuits,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t feel comfortable about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plus, he\u2019s a manager now.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe manager doesn\u2019t need to throw batting practice,\u201d Stammen said.<\/p>\n
![\"Craig](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-padres-1111-011.jpg\")
Craig Stammen was introduced as the San Diego Padres manager by President of baseball operations and General Manager A.J. Preller at a news conference at Petco Park on Nov. 10, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by K.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
While this week is another marker in the delineation between Stammen\u2019s two careers, the intersection is ongoing and ever-present.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of things I experienced as a player have helped me understand what goes into everyday activities of everyday players or pitchers,\u201d Stammen said recently. \u201cKeeping a player\u2019s perspective is very helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Six players in Padres camp played on the same team as Stammen. Virtually everyone on the roster has known him in some capacity.<\/p>\n
Stammen was around the club the past three seasons, first rehabbing and then as a special assistant who would meet the team on the road or show up at Petco Park. A part of his job the past two years was to interact with players as a sounding board.<\/p>\n
And the thing to know about Stammen is that to know him is to almost assuredly feel connected to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat an amazing guy,\u201d said second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who shared a clubhouse for three seasons with Stammen. \u201c\u2026 A mentor and an incredible human to be around. I couldn\u2019t be more excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"San](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-padres-1111-018.jpg\")
San Diego Padres new manager Craig Stammen greets pitching coach Ruben Niebla after a news conference at Petco Park on Nov. 10, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by K.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
How Stammen, 41, turns out as a manager will have to play out over months and years. How he views life and treats the people he comes across has been established.<\/p>\n
He is realistic yet exceedingly positive. He isn\u2019t concerned so much about whether a glass is half-full or half-empty; he just wants to find more water and fill the cup to the brim.<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t deny drama exists; he simply doesn\u2019t give it oxygen. He has little regard for nonsense or complaining. Instead, Stammen listens and turns toward solutions.<\/p>\n
The majority of his thoughts on virtually any topic are punctuated by some sort of reference to getting better and\/or enjoyment.<\/p>\n
He is revered for his wisdom and authenticity. That goes the same for the Padres minor leaguer who he mentored and is now out of the game, and Manny Machado, who heeds the counsel of just a small group of people.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou definitely get that relationship, that there\u2019s trust going both ways,\u201d said Padres pitcher Michael King.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been awesome to work with, awesome to communicate with,\u201d first baseman Gavin Sheets said. \u201cI mean, just the feeling of we\u2019re all in this together.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Stammen, this is the crux of his new role. So much of what he has said publicly since taking the job in November has been about the differences and similarities between playing and managing. He has spent the past three months building a bridge between the two roles.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been great this offseason,\u201d he said, \u201cjust, like, getting involved in these guys\u2019 offseason plans and developing player plans for these guys and trying to show them that we\u2019re in their corner and that we\u2019re not trying to make them do things but that we want to see the best, get the best out of them, and then, in turn, get the best out the team. So just reiterating that message throughout the offseason and seeing these guys show up here this week in really good shape and ready to go for spring training, and saying, \u2018I can\u2019t wait to get started.\u2019 That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-Padres-Day-2-023.jpg\")
Joe Musgrove, center, high fives special assistant Craig Stammen during Padres spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Feb. 13, 2025 in Peoria, Ariz.. (Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
Stammen\u2019s golf game has suffered. He had a 0.4 index in November, which means he was routinely around par. He expects to skip the Arizona courses he loves this spring. That is part of the trade-off for taking a job he has already found to be exhilarating.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy passion has grown,\u201d he said. \u201cI knew it was going to be a big deal, a life-changing decision. And it has been. My day-to-day life is completely different than it used to be. It feels like I\u2019m on the phone 24 hours a day. I\u2019m not. It\u2019s just a rhythm of life with the family, with myself and the schedule that is different. But it\u2019s one of the coolest challenges I\u2019ve ever taken on. It\u2019s the same challenge as being a player. It\u2019s the same as trying to make it and be the best pitcher I could be.\u201d<\/p>\n
He repeatedly talks about how much he has to learn, how he will lean on his staff. But he knows the tone he will set this spring.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be about hard work,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to be about being together, testing each other as a team. We want to be about enjoying this opportunity to be in the major leagues. If we accomplish those three things, we\u2019ll be in a good spot.<\/p>\n
\u201cA.J. (Preller, the Padres\u2019 president of baseball operations) has done a great job constructing the roster. We have great players that have been here quite a long time, gone through some very good seasons and gone through tough times, lost in the playoffs. All those things add up to a belief and a want to achieve something greater.\u201d<\/p>\n
He spoke about the need to be \u201cuncomfortable\u201d and for individuals to assess what they are doing to be their best.<\/p>\n
\u201cLittle things daily,\u201d he said. \u201cAre you skipping that last rep in the weight room? Are you getting in that extra lift during the week? Are you on time every day, focused, to do whatever you\u2019re supposed to do? If you\u2019re taking ground balls, throwing a bullpen, are you giving a championship effort every single time?\u201d<\/p>\n
Those might not be entirely unique goals for a manager. But when elucidated by someone who was so recently asking those same things of himself, they might land differently.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe manager\u2019s biggest goal is to have a happy clubhouse and a good relationship with the players,\u201d pitcher Joe Musgrove said. \u201cHe\u2019s coming in already ahead of the game in that aspect, having played with us. I think the communication is going to be a lot freer and a lot more open, a little bit of honesty. And I think Craig\u2019s the kind of guy that\u2019s\u00a0 not looking for praise, you know, he\u2019s not looking to be the hero that comes in and always makes the right decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Padres FanFest last month, Stammen made one of those jokes that is funny because of the truth it contained.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not too difficult right now, because I haven\u2019t had to make a decision to make them mad,\u201d he said of his new dynamic with players.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo right now, it\u2019s kind of status quo, just building off those relationships (that) I had as a player. But being able to ask them, like, certain questions, like one-on-one that are team-related and chemistry-related and make some changes that maybe they were afraid to voice in years past that they feel comfortable letting me know and hoping I can make a difference in whatever they\u2019re asking from us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PEORIA, Ariz. \u2014 Craig Stammen threw off the mound in the Petco Park bullpen for the final time…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":563097,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2407],"tags":[5,853,4,43,137,18,4339,4338,185,3546],"class_list":{"0":"post-563096","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego-padres","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-latest-headlines","10":"tag-mlb","11":"tag-padres","12":"tag-san-diego","13":"tag-san-diego-padres","14":"tag-sandiego","15":"tag-sandiegopadres","16":"tag-sports","17":"tag-top-stories-sdut"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116043115116451624","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=563096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/563097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=563096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=563096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=563096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}