Niebla has been the Padres’ pitching coach since 2022. Stammen was actually part of Niebla’s first pitching staff. The pair crossed paths in the right-hander’s final season in the league. Niebla was one of three known finalists for the leadership position Albert Pujols And Nick Hundley. Shortly after news broke of Stammen’s recruitment, ESPN’s Alden González reported that Niebla was expected to remain on staff.
The revelation that Niebla is under contract for the next two seasons is further confirmation that he will be there to help the inexperienced Tribes. He’s not the only holdover who will be on the staff after 2026, either. Lin noted that while teams had expressed interest in bullpen coach Ben Fritz, he recently received a new multi-year deal. He has been on San Diego’s staff since 2020.
By retaining Fritz, Stammen gets another former coach in his corner. Fritz was the bullpen coach for Stammen’s final three seasons in San Diego. He also served briefly as pitching coach and took over for those who were fired Larry Rothschild to close out the 2021 season before returning to his role as bullpen coach. Fritz has been with the organization since 2015.
Stammen will also have to deal with some departures. Coach hitting Viktor Rodríguez is expected to go to the Astros. He spent the past two seasons in the role with San Diego. Third base coach Tim Leiper is expected to take the same position with the Mets. Leiper also held this position for the past two years.
Roster personnel can play a role in future hiring decisions, as Lin noted: “some on the team believe the Padres should add a coach who can connect naturally with Machado, Tatis and other Latin American players in the clubhouse.” Lin added that bringing in a bench coach who manages at the MLB level would also be valuable.
Image courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images.
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