Craig Stammen did enough in his first season to earn the right to keep going. That’s the simple part. The harder part is what comes next, because the Padres have already seen this movie with Jayce Tingler, Bob Melvin and Mike Shildt.
Each of them got the club to the postseason in Year 1. Each of them entered Year 2 with momentum, credibility and unfinished business.
None made it to Year 3. Now Stammen is stepping into the same uneasy territory after guiding an imperfect roster to 90 wins and a playoff berth.
For a manager with no prior experience at any level, Stammen’s debut came with the expected bumps. He had some real misfires early on, including failing to have Ty France ready for a pinch-hit appearance in San Francisco and appearing to lose track of a mound visit against Washington. He also trusted pitchers a batter or two longer than he should have at times.
But he owned the mistakes, and that mattered. As the season went on, his choices sharpened. The improvement was visible, and that’s why Year 2 carries so much weight: it will show whether those lessons actually stuck.
His most impressive stretch came when the roster stopped cooperating. By late July, the Padres were three games under .500 and 11th in the National League. Injuries had battered an already thin rotation, and sticking with a normal pitching plan would have just meant losing in a neater way.
Instead, Stammen and his staff leaned into chaos. They shuffled roles, built unusual pitching sequences and treated every arm like a flexible piece on the board. That approach kept San Diego afloat long enough to become a buyer at the trade deadline.
He also helped steady the team during an eight-game losing streak that could have turned into something much worse. While the outside noise grew louder, he kept the clubhouse from matching that panic.
That’s where the larger issue comes in. When one manager thrives early and then fades, the blame can stay with the manager. When three straight managers follow the same path, the focus has to shift higher up.
This is no longer just about Stammen. It’s about A.J.
Preller and a pattern that has repeated itself too often to ignore. Tingler, Melvin and Shildt all arrived with different backgrounds and different styles, yet they ended in the same place.
That doesn’t look like a coincidence.
Now Preller has to give Stammen a rotation that doesn’t require another month of improvisation. He also has to show that the relationship between the front office and the manager can survive once the honeymoon phase is over.
Stammen’s job is to keep the clubhouse together and clean up the rookie mistakes. Preller’s job is to make sure the organization doesn’t chew up another manager.
In Other News...
Padres Just Got Hit With An Offseason Ranking Fans Will Hate
Mike Petriellos latest MLB.com roster rankings did not do the Padres any favors, slotting San Diego at No. 26 heading into the offseason. The evaluation points to the same issue that has hovered over the club for weeks: a starting rotation thinned by free agency departures and a roster that may need more than a quick tweak to get back on track.
Even so, this is not a teardown built from scratch. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado remain the centerpieces, and Mason Miller gives the bullpen a late-inning edge few teams can match. But with A.J. Preller now steering the front office and rookie manager Craig Stammen stepping into the dugout, the Padres are entering a winter where the next moves will say plenty about whether this is a reset or something closer to a rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Could Lose A Key Arm In A Brutal Offseason Twist
The Padres are heading into the offseason with plenty of roster uncertainty, and the bullpen is part of the squeeze. Adrian Morejon is among the clubs notable free agents, joining Ty France and Nick Pivetta in a group that could force San Diego to reshape more than one area of the roster if the market breaks against them.
Morejons situation is the one to watch most closely because he has already received a qualifying offer, a sign the Padres want him back even as the expectation is that he will decline it. Some insiders believe he could land a significant multi-year deal, with the Dodgers mentioned as a possible destination, which would make his departure sting even more for a division rival that knows exactly what kind of arm it would be getting. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Are Suddenly Tied To Two Padres Arms Fans Know Well
The Padres offseason already has a familiar layer of uncertainty, and it centers on two pitchers fans know well in Michael King and Adrian Morejon. Both are free agents now, and both have become part of the conversation around what San Diegos pitching group could look like next season, especially with rival clubs expected to check in.
David Lennon of MLB insider circles has now tied the Dodgers to both arms, adding an uncomfortable twist for Padres followers who have watched each pitcher build an emotional connection to San Diego. Nothing is settled yet, and their next steps remain undecided, but the possibility of those two landing in Los Angeles gives this market another reason to watch the winter closely. [Read more 🡒]