Former San Diego Padres Pitcher Takes on Crucial Role with Organization

Former San Diego Padres' reliever Craig Stammen is going to now work in the organization, taking on a new role in player development.

The following comes from MLBTradeRumors, but links to the original report (subscription required):

The Padres have added former MLB reliever Craig Stammen in a player development capacity, reports Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The 39-year-old will work as an assistant to both the coaching staff and baseball operations department in a role that sees him interact with the MLB team and minor league affiliates. 

Sanders notes that former big leaguers Allen Craig and A.J. Ellis — each of whom have worked for the Padres for a few seasons — are taking similar positions.

It's always a good move to have a former player work with current players, especially right after they get done playing as they are often very relatable to younger players.

The Ohio native spent 13 years in the big leagues with the Washington Nationals and Padres. He spent seven in Washington and six with the Padres, serving as a valuable reliever in both spots. While with San Diego, he made more than 60 appearances in four separate seasons. He also made 24 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, which accounted for nearly half the games that year.

Lifetime, he went 55-44 with a 3.66 ERA. Stammen made 562 career appearances and he made 43 starts, almost all in the first two years of his career.

As for the Padres, they finished third in the National League West and failed to make the playoffs in 2023.