Another Former Nationals Player Gets Hired as First-Time MLB Manager

Now there's two former Washington Nationals players who have been hired as first-time MLB managers.

H. Darr Beiser-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals have been in the news this offseason, that's for sure.

After making headlines for hiring 35-year-old Paul Toboni to become their new president of baseball operations, they turned around and hired 33-year-old Blake Butera to become the next manager of this franchise.

But beyond that and the trade rumors that have featured multiple Nationals stars, clubs around the league have hired former Washington players to become first-time skippers of their MLB teams, with 2019 World Series champion Kurt Suzuki taking over the Los Angeles Angels' job.

Now, another former Nationals player is getting that same opportunity, as Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune (subscription required) reported the San Diego Padres have decided to hire Craig Stammen to become the next manager of their team.

Craig Stammen's History With Nationals

Jason Getz-Imagn Images

For those who might have forgotten about Stammen, he was a 12th-round pick of Washington in the 2005 draft, which was the first draft for the Nationals after they moved out of Montreal and rebranded in the nation's capital.

The right-hander made his major league debut in 2009 as a starting pitcher. He posted a 5.11 ERA across 19 starts that year, where he struck out just 48 batters in 105 2/3 innings pitched. Then, after beginning as a starter in 2010, Washington decided to convert him into a relief role.

That proved to be the right decision. From 2012-14, he posted under a 3.00 ERA mark in two out of those three seasons and under a 4.00 in all three of them. He was never a high strikeout guy, but at least coming out of the bullpen allowed him to raise his K rate.

Unfortunately, after making just five appearances in 2015 before he was placed on the 60-day injured list, the Nationals decided to non-tender him a contract and he became a free agent. After not appearing in the MLB during the 2016 campaign, he signed with the Padres and finished his career with them when he announced his retirement in August of 2023.

Why Padres Have Decided to Hire Craig Stammen

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

In a cycle full of some eye-catching hires, the decision for San Diego to replace the retired Mike Shildt with Stammen could sit at the top of the list. It's not clear exactly why this decision was made since a formal introduction hasn't occurred just yet, but Acee pointed out that Stammen was a leader and mentor during his time as a player, which allowed him to connect to multiple parts of the Padres' clubhouse.

There's no doubt this is a major risk, though. While the Nationals shocked a lot of people when they hired Butera, at least he had an impressive managerial stint in the minors. Stammen has no coaching or manager history at all.

So, Washington fans will not only be keeping their eye on how their team looks in 2026, but also how former players Suzuki and Stammen do as first-time managers.