The family of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler is exploring the possibility of selling the franchise.
The Padres announced the Seidler family's decision to consider a sale on Thursday. The club hired BDT & MSD Partners, which has acted as a consultant on similar discussions in recent years for Boston Celtics NBA And Chicago White Sox of MLB.
Advertising
John Zeidler who became chairman of the Padres after death of his brother in November 2023said his family was “evaluating our future with the Padres, including a potential sale of the franchise.”
“We will conduct this process with integrity and professionalism to honor Peter's legacy and love of the Padres and lay the foundation for the franchise's long-term success,” John Seidler added in a statement. “As we prepare for the 2026 season, the Padres will continue to focus on our players, employees, fans and community, investing every resource in winning a World Series championship. We remain fully committed to this team, its fans and the San Diego community.”
Peter Seidler was part of the group that purchased the Padres for $800 million in 2012 and became the team's majority owner in November 2020 after buying out Ron Fowler's majority stake. He quickly won over Padres fans with his aggressive spending in an attempt to win San Diego's first major professional sports championship.
After the two-time cancer survivor died two years ago, his wife Sheel sued her brothers-in-law Matthew and Robert. in an attempt to prevent John Seidler from becoming team leader. Sheel Seidler claimed that Peter Seidler wanted her to succeed him, but Matthew Seidler said Sheel Seidler's claims were “Absolutely untrue and we will vigorously defend against them.”
Advertising
Peter Seidler, grandson of former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, laid the groundwork for the longest and longest winning streak in Padres history.
San Diego has reached the postseason four times over the last six years, winning at least 90 games in each of the last two seasons, with a tremendous roster built around stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. The Padres continued to win despite their payroll being cut in 2024 following the death of Peter Seidler.
The Padres won 90 games this year before losing to the Chicago Cubs in a tight three-game Wild Card series. Earlier this week, general manager AJ Preller introduced the former Padres shortstop. Craig Stammen is the club's new manager.
The Padres' large base of loyal fans and their home, esteemed Petco Park, will be an important asset for a potential new owner. The San Diego metropolitan area ranks among the top 20 largest markets in the United States, but the Padres were the only major professional sports team in the city from the Padres' departure from the NFL in 2017 until the arrival of Expansion of Major League Soccer San Diego this season.
Advertising
Not every consideration of a potential sale results in an actual sale to MLB. Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno has been considering selling his franchise at the end of 2022 for months. before deciding to keep the team.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
