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Peoria Today
By the People, for the People
Padres Prepare for 2026 Season with Catcher Rotation, Darvish Mentorship
Yu Darvish takes on mentorship role as Padres balance playing time between catchers Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano.
Published on Feb. 13, 2026
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As the San Diego Padres approach the 2026 MLB season, new manager Craig Stammen is adjusting expectations regarding the team's catchers, with Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano set to share more duties to avoid overuse and maintain effectiveness throughout the season. Meanwhile, veteran pitcher Yu Darvish, who is recovering from elbow surgery, will take on a mentorship role with the team, though his future playing status remains uncertain.
Why it matters
The Padres' strategic approach to managing their catchers' workload reflects a broader trend in baseball towards preserving player health and performance over the course of a long season. Darvish's mentorship role also highlights the importance of veteran leadership and knowledge-sharing, even for players whose playing futures are unclear.
The details
Fermin, 30, has never been a traditional No. 1 catcher, though he showed durability last season with a career-high 89 starts. 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. Stammen also rejected the idea of strict catcher-pitcher pairings for 2026, advocating for versatility and team cohesion. As for Darvish, the Padres anticipate a similar mentorship role for him in 2026, but final arrangements remain undetermined due to his ongoing decisions about his career.
- The Padres' first full-squad workout is scheduled for Sunday, February 19, 2026.
- Players involved in the World Baseball Classic, including Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., will exit camp on March 1, 2026 and return once their teams are eliminated or win the tournament, between March 12 and March 18, 2026.
The players
Craig Stammen
The new manager of the San Diego Padres, who is adjusting expectations regarding the team's catchers and advocating for versatility and team cohesion.
Freddy Fermin
A 30-year-old catcher for the Padres who has never been a traditional No. 1 catcher, but showed durability last season with a career-high 89 starts.
Luis Campusano
A catcher for the Padres who will share more duties with Freddy Fermin to avoid overuse and maintain effectiveness throughout the season.
Yu Darvish
A veteran pitcher for the Padres who is recovering from elbow surgery and will take on a mentorship role with the team, though his future playing status remains uncertain.
Manny Machado
A star player for the Padres who will exit camp on March 1, 2026 to participate in the World Baseball Classic.
Fernando Tatis Jr.
A star player for the Padres who will exit camp on March 1, 2026 to participate in the World Baseball Classic.
What they’re saying
“I don't have a set (number of games) on it. 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.”
— Craig Stammen, Manager (theconwaybulletin.com)
“I think every catcher needs to catch every pitcher, and every pitcher needs to throw to every catcher. 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.”
— Craig Stammen, Manager (theconwaybulletin.com)
“As much as he is willing to be around the team, we'll have him here. 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.”
— Craig Stammen, Manager (theconwaybulletin.com)
“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 (theconwaybulletin.com)
What’s next
The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.
The takeaway
The Padres' strategic approach to managing their catchers' workload and Yu Darvish's mentorship role highlight the importance of preserving player health and leveraging veteran leadership, even as the team faces uncertainty about Darvish's future playing status.
