The San Diego Padres have a new manager for the 2026 season, and if you ask Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, that seems likely to turn the temperature down a bit in the rivalry between the two teams.
On Thursday, as pitchers and catchers start reporting for spring training in Glendale, Arizona, Marty Caswell of Foul Territory noted Roberts has “butted heads with quite a few Padres managers” and asked him if he expects that to continue.
Roberts indicated he does not think that will be the case with Craig Stammen.
Jan 21, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) answers questions during a news conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
“I’m not going to butt heads with Stammen,” Roberts said. “No way. I just don’t see that happening. Don’t see it happening.”
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Dave Roberts Has History With the Padres
Caswell referenced Roberts’ previous confrontations with the Padres, perhaps the most prominent of which occurred in June.
Roberts was ejected from the June 17, 2025, game with the Padres after Shohei Ohtani was plunked in the leg with a fastball.
That struck batter came one inning after Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit, and Roberts confronted the umpire after he issued warnings to both teams.
Three days later, Ohtani and Tatis were hit again, prompting the benches to clear.
That night, Roberts got into it with now-former Padres manager Mike Shildt, who later seemed to admit that Ohtani was hit in retaliation for the pitch that hit Tatis.
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Southern California Rivalry to Remain ‘Competitive’ This Year
Despite the friction with his predecessor, Roberts was complimentary of Stammen, noting that despite a lack of managerial experience, his San Diego counterpart is well-regarded in the baseball world.
Stammen spent the last six years of his career with the Padres, prompting the San Diego Union-Tribune to dub the move “outside the box but from inside the organization.”
“I was surprised in the sense of, he hasn’t coached before, but not surprised with the respect he has in the clubhouse, the game, and being familiar with the organization. Great hire,” Roberts said.
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For his part, Stammen has promised the Padres will be competitive with the Dodgers, which he described as a “great team.”
“We’re going to compete,” Stammen told Foul Territory earlier this year. “No doubt about that. We’re going to give them our best shot. That’s what we’ll do every year, that’s what we’re going to do every year.