Padres new manager gets early endorsement from respected former teammate

The San Diego Padres didn’t just zig with the hiring of Craig Stammen — they swerved into a lane almost nobody had circled. A year removed from working quietly in the front office and barely three since his last big league inning, Stammen now steps into the manager’s chair on a three-year deal, succeeding Mike Shildt after consecutive postseason runs and a burnout-driven exit. 

It’s bold, it’s internal, and it instantly raises the big question hovering over everything this franchise does: did A.J. Preller just hand the keys to a clubhouse leader he trusts to push this core forward, or to another easy partner for an already powerful front office? 

Early support for Craig Stammen hints at strong clubhouse fit for Padres

If you’re going to make a surprise hire, you’d better have receipts in the room. Stammen has them. Across six seasons in San Diego’s bullpen, he was the adult in the chaos: 333 appearances, a 3.66 ERA overall in his career, a leadership role on the 2020 club that finally broke the postseason series drought, and a reputation as a stabilizing voice for stars, rookies, and relievers shuttling from El Paso. 

After retiring in 2023, he didn’t disappear; he embedded, working in player development and alongside baseball operations, learning how the organization operates from the inside out. That combination is exactly what the Padres are betting can translate directly into the manager’s seat. 

A quick public stamp of approval came quickly from someone fans know wasn’t just handing out compliments: Eric Hosmer.

 “Wow! Craig is as PRO as it gets and one of the best teammates I’ve had,” Hosmer posted, a simple line that hits heavier when you remember they went through the highest expectations and the weirdest turbulence of the early Preller-era spending spree together.

That endorsement frames Stammen less as a convenient company hire and more as the guy veterans trusted when the lights were bright and the noise got weird. It matters that voices from that window of Padres baseball are vouching for his professionalism instead of wondering out loud if this is a reach.

And Hosmer’s not alone. Current pitcher Joe Musgrove has already backed Stammen publicly, praising him as one of the most honest, considerate, and reasonable people he’s worked with — the exact traits you want when a former teammate is suddenly the one writing out your name on the lineup card. Coming from a pitcher who carries real weight in that clubhouse, it reads as more than polite radio fluff; it’s a signal that the room is willing to meet this decision halfway. 

Stammen’s challenge will be to turn that respect into day-to-day authority, especially managing relationships with players who once shared a bullpen, a plane, and a postgame spread with him. But early buy-in from cornerstone voices gives him something every first-time manager needs: cover.

All of this sits against the backdrop of how unexpected the hire was. The Padres had reportedly considered big, flashy names and established voices — including Albert Pujols — before landing on Stammen, a first-time skipper with no minor league or MLB managerial track record.  On paper, that’s the risk: he’s not the safe, resume-heavy choice fans and pundits spent weeks gaming out. But viewed through the lens of continuity and culture, it tracks. The front office knows exactly who he is. The players know exactly who he is. And unlike an outsider learning Petco, Preller, and a playoff-expected roster on the fly, Stammen starts with fluency in all three.

None of that guarantees this works. Stammen still has to prove he’s more than a friendly face for the front office, more than a popular ex-reliever, and more than a feel-good story in a hiring cycle full of unconventional choices. His success will be judged on whether he can set a firmer tone than his predecessors, navigate stars and egos, push buttons aggressively enough in October, and show that the endorsements pouring in now were a preview, not a eulogy.