Craig Stammen has been one of the more consistent relief pitchers in Major League Baseball since his debut in 2009. The Washington Nationals drafted him in the 12th round of the 2005 MLB draft, pitching seven seasons with the Nationals and appearing in 229 games (38 starts). He joined the San Diego Padres on a minor league contract in 2016.
An injury during the 2015 season (and subsequent set-back), forced him to miss all of 2016. He returned in 2017, throwing 80 innings and working a 3.14 earned run average. The Padres rewarded him with a brand new two-year contract worth $4.