PEORIA, Ariz. — As the San Diego Padres approach the 2026 season, new manager Craig Stammen is adjusting expectations regarding the team’s catchers, particularly Freddy Fermin’s workload. Initially projected to handle the majority of games, Fermin will share more duties with Luis Campusano to avoid overuse and maintain effectiveness throughout the season. This adjustment reflects a strategic effort to balance playing time between the two catchers.
Balancing Playing Time to Preserve Catcher Performance
Fermin, 30, has never been a traditional No. 1 catcher, though he showed durability last season with a career-high 89 starts, including 39 in the final 52 games following a trade from the Royals. His previous roles backing up Salvador Perez saw him start 72 and 54 games in successive seasons. Stammen emphasized a flexible plan rather than a fixed number of games, highlighting the importance of performance and rest to keep Fermin fresh and effective.
I don’t have a set (number of games) on it,
Stammen said.
We’ll see kind of how it goes. Performance tells you a lot about who gets to play and who doesn’t get to play. But I think (he will get more rest) at the beginning, just to, like, keep Freddy fresh. He’ll be asked to take more of a load this year. Hopefully Campy is right there with him and we feel good about either one of those guys catching that we can win a baseball game.
Approach to Catcher-Pitcher Assignments in 2026
Historical trends show no Padres catcher has started more than 95 games in a season since Austin Hedges logged 102 in 2017. Last year, Martín Maldonado and Elias Díaz split catching duties, each working primarily with specific pitchers; Díaz caught all 31 starts of Nick Pivetta, while Maldonado handled the early starts of Dylan Cease and Randy Vásquez.
Stammen rejects the idea of strict catcher-pitcher pairings for 2026, advocating for versatility and team cohesion. He prefers catchers to work with all pitchers to foster better dynamics and avoid reliance on specific matchups.
I think every catcher needs to catch every pitcher, and every pitcher needs to throw to every catcher,
he said.
Now, will there be, ‘Hey, these guys are just way better together?’ That could definitely happen. But you never know. You can’t pigeonhole them, because, say, one guy gets hurt and then all of a sudden the backup has to catch those guys too.
I don’t love falling into that pattern. Maybe that’s because I was a reliever and I had to throw to everybody and just make it work. But I also feel like the team dynamic gets better when they’re all working with everybody.
Yu Darvish’s Role as Mentor Amid Uncertainty About His Playing Future
Yu Darvish has returned to Japan to support Team Japan as they prepare for the World Baseball Classic (WBC). Though he will not pitch this season following elbow surgery in October, Darvish is taking on a mentorship position for the Samurai Japan squad. The Padres anticipate a similar role for him in 2026, but final arrangements remain undetermined due to his ongoing decisions about his career.
As much as he is willing to be around the team, we’ll have him here,
Stammen said.
I know he’s had a huge impact on a lot of our pitchers that are currently on the staff. … Whenever Yu is here, he’s got so much knowledge; we can’t wait to have him back and be around the guys.
Yu’s schedule is up to him. … He said he’s going to be here at some point. We’re kind of letting him have his space a little bit. Obviously, he’s making decisions on what he wants to do with the future, but we’re supporting him in every way we can.
Darvish has voiced his intent to terminate his contract, which still has three years and $46 million remaining. Although he believes he wants to pitch again, uncertainty about when or if that will occur remains.
Padres Roster Activity and Preparation Status
The Padres’ first full-squad workout is scheduled for Sunday, with nearly all position players who are candidates for the opening-day roster already in camp. Veterans Jake Cronenworth, Jackson Merrill, and Gavin Sheets have been training at the Peoria Sports Complex for over a week, and stars Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. joined the group on Thursday, marking an important step in the team’s preparations.
Getting those big boys in town makes it feel real, like we’re getting the band back together again and things are moving in the right direction.
– Craig Stammen, Manager
Players involved in the WBC, including Machado, Tatis, Xander Bogaerts, and others, will exit camp on March 1 and return once their teams are eliminated or win the tournament, between March 12 and March 18.
