On a day that could’ve been about justifying his hire, Craig Stammen chose instead to spotlight the coach Padres pitchers already trust most.
San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen didn’t waste his first big moment in the chair talking about himself. Before the questions could veer too far into the shock factor of his hire or the how-did-we-get-here of A.J. Preller’s process, Stammen planted his flag somewhere far more important: beside Ruben Niebla.
In a press conference that could’ve been about optics, résumés, and second-guessing, the Padres’ new skipper instead made it about collaboration — and made it abundantly clear that his vision for 2026 runs straight through the man already widely viewed as the organization’s on-field stabilizer.