Front Row Seat: Robert Suarez signs with the Braves
The former Padres closer becomes the Braves' setup man, Mo Salah's fit with San Diego FC, SDSU loses another defensive coach to Nebraska, FIFA World Cup fans are mad at ticket prices, TED Talks moving to San Diego and a lot more in today's Front Row Seat.
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Darren Smith
John Gennaro
San Diego Padres
Padres have their North Star in new manager Craig Stammen - San Diego Union-Tribune
Preller had been on the receiving end of Stammen voicing his displeasure over manager Andy Green being fired in 2019. Stammen told Preller at the time that the players bore responsibility for the team’s poor finish to the season and that Preller had failed them as well.
On the August day in 2023 when Stammen called assistant general manager Josh Stein to tell him he was officially retiring, Stein didn’t let him off the phone without telling him there was a job for him in the organization whenever he was ready. Stammen didn’t hang up before saying he was ready.
Stammen spent the past two years a special assistant in the Padres’ player development department. He visited minor-league affiliates, working individually with players and advising coaches. A big part of his role, too, was spending time with the major league team, serving as a sounding board for players and observing how the staff went about its business. Another facet of the job was being part of discussions involving potential trades and free-agent signings.
While there will be differences in his and Preller’s new dynamic, the familiarity between them makes Stammen comfortable.
'Absolute stud' Suarez inks 3-year deal to become Braves' setup man - MLB.com
Robert Suarez further strengthened Atlanta’s bullpen on Thursday, when he signed a three-year, $45 million deal. The 34-year-old right-hander will serve as the setup man for closer Raisel Iglesias, who returned to the Braves with a one-year, $16 million deal in November.
