SAN DIEGO, CA – The Padres’ managerial search has come to an end, albeit with an unexpected name taking the reins. 

Former Padres reliever and special advisor to the front office Craig Stammen is set to be named the 24th manager in Padres history, as multiple sources tell EVT.

Stammen, 41, is set to take over a team that has won 90+ games in each of the past two seasons. The Padres organization has since confirmed the news of Stammen’s hiring. 

We have agreed to terms with Craig Stammen on a three-year contract to become our new manager. pic.twitter.com/sqEiUH5Z5h

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 6, 2025

Stammen’s hiring will conclude a nearly month-long search for the franchise’s next bench boss following the sudden retirement of Mike Shildt back on October 13.

The Padres’ managerial search included a plethora of notable names, including but not limited to Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley, and Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla. San Diego did make a convincing run at bringing in the future Hall of Famer in Pujols, but sources within and outside the organization report that San Diego and Pujols had their differences about the coaching staff. 

After a substantial amount of coverage surrounding external candidates, A.J. Preller and company will turn to someone who has extensive knowledge of the organization from within. With the offseason about to get underway, San Diego is now set at the manager’s chair for 2026 and beyond; Stammen and San Diego did agree to a three-year contract after all.

Stammen has spent the past two seasons in an advisory role with the Padres, working with both minor league player development and baseball operations. For a team looking for stability for the 2026 season and beyond, bringing in a voice with veteran experience and understanding of all facets of baseball ops grades out as a well-rounded, if unproven, hire. 

Craig Stammen becomes the Padres’ first managerial hire without managerial experience since Jayce Tingler’s hiring back in 2019-20.

The reputation Stammen built as a veteran player on the late 2010s/early 2020s Padres teams should be useful on a roster that still features players from his tenure. Now that he is officially the manager, Stammen, A.J. Preller, and the front office will look to round out the team’s coaching staff, which will look to retain pitching coach Ruben Niebla while filling in vacancies elsewhere.

Diego Garcia

A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.

A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.