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San Diego Padres Have hired former reliever Craig Stammen as their manager.
Stammen received a three-year contract on Thursday to begin his first managerial job at any level of the game.
The longtime right-handed reliever retired from his playing career with the Padres in August 2023, and he spent the past season as an assistant on the major league coaching staff and baseball operations department headed by general manager AJ Preller.
Stammen, 41, replaces Mike Shildt, who retired on October 13 after just two seasons in charge. The Padres won at least 90 games and made the playoffs in both seasons under Shildt, who cited fatigue and exhaustion when announcing his departure.
The Padres conducted a deliberate search for Shildt’s replacement, interviewing guys such as Albert Pujols, Nick Hundley and longtime San Diego pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Stammen is the Padres’ fifth full-time manager since the beginning of the 2016 season.
Stammen presented seven seasons for Washington Nationals and six more for the Padres during his playing career, serving as a reliever for all but his first two big league seasons. He was known for his effective sinker.
The Padres are enjoying their longest run of success in franchise history with four playoff appearances over the past six years behind stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. But due to hit free agency and the potential loss of key pitching talent from last season’s 90-win club, Preller will have to make several major roster decisions with key players in the coming weeks.
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