SAN DIEGO — In any workplace — be it an office, a factory, a retail shop — two co-workers gunning for the same promotion can be thorny. Somebody’s going to be disappointed when the decision comes down.
Holds true for a Major League clubhouse.
The Padres’ hiring of Craig Stammen as manager means highly regarded pitching coach Ruben Niebla did not get the job after reaching the final round of interviews. Which also means Niebla now reports to Stammen, formerly one of the pitchers he guided.
“I have so much respect for Ruben, Stammen said on Monday during his introductory press conference at Petco Park. “I had the privilege of being a player under him and being able to see how he can coach players and get the best out of them. And then the last few years [as a special assistant in the front office], I’ve seen his processes, kind of behind the scenes on how he’s able to get the best out of all of our players.
“Honestly, he’s the guy I’m going to rely on the most. His experience — I think he’s one of the best coaches in our entire sport, not just pitching coaches, but coaches overall. And we’re going to put a lot on his plate. I’m going to put a lot on his plate.
“I’m excited to work with Ruben. It’s going to be an extension of our relationship that started with me as a player, and now we get to work hand in hand as manager, pitching coach. I’m excited about it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Stammen and Niebla have a couple of things going for them as they redefine their working relationship. First, they are both positive personalities, engaging and quick to earn trust in the clubhouse. Second, they have history together.
They first crossed paths in 2016, when Stammen spent the season in the Cleveland organization and Niebla was the Minor League pitching coordinator. They reunited in San Diego in 2022, when Niebla took over as Padres pitching coach and Stammen was firmly established in the bullpen.
Niebla, who has two years remaining on his contract, attended the press conference Monday, sporting his everpresent smile. That’s an indication he’s shaking off whatever disappointment he held about not getting the manager job.
Niebla politely declined an interview request as the press conference broke up.
“Today’s Craig’s day,” Niebla said.
Across Niebla’s four seasons as pitching coach, the Padres rank eighth in MLB in ERA (3.76), fifth in opponents’ batting average (.233) and sixth in strikeouts (5,774).
A.J. Preller, Padres president of baseball operations and general manager, said breaking the news to Niebla and other worthy candidates ranks as perhaps the toughest part of his job. Preller, Stammen and Niebla have been having long discussions in the days since the hire was made about how to maximize Niebla’s knowledge and skills, possibly adding some duties to the traditional role of a pitching coach.
“He was super impressive in the whole process,” Preller said of Niebla’s managerial interviews. “The bottom line is we all have a lot of respect for each other. In the last couple of days, we spent 15-hour days with Ruben and Craig, just talking about how we’re going to be better, things that we can do as a team and a coaching staff. He’s going to have a big-time voice in it.”
