At the start of Monday’s news conference, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller turned to his right and asked Craig Stammen a rhetorical question.

“How did we get here?”

It is an apt question when discussing any hire of great magnitude. In this case, it is also particularly intriguing.

Because Stammen was introduced on Monday morning as the new manager of the Padres — a job for which he was ostensibly not a candidate.

Stammen was near the top of the list Preller had of men he envisioned trusting the Padres’ clubouse to when Mike Shildt retired in October . Preller has since early in Stammen’s time with the organization — first as a relief pitcher and then as a special assistant in player development — thought Stammen had a promising future in whatever role he chose in

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