The San Diego Padres have had a quiet offseason after a fantastic 2024. While they fell short in the National League playoffs, they had high expectations coming into the offseason. However, ownership issues have overshadowed the team and prevented them from signing free agents. Peter Seidler passed away before last season and now his brother John Seidler has been approved by MLB as the Padres’ new control person.
“John Seidler, brother of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler, was unanimously approved by MLB owners this morning as the Padres’ new control person,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported.
Peter’s wife sued two of her brothers-in-law for control of the team but John was not one of them. Sheel Seidler sued Bob and Matt Seidler, claiming a “breach of fiduciary duty and fraud.” That suit has not been resolved yet so that could have an impact on who controls the team.
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The Padres did not add anything to their playoff-caliber roster this offseason and lost Jurickson Profar and Tanner Scott. While they still have a great team, they are in the same division as the high-powered Los Angeles Dodgers. As they continue to add superstar players, it makes it much harder for the Padres to make the playoffs.
Peter Seidler purchased the Padres in 1992 along with his uncle Peter O’Malley. O’Malley is the brother of Seidler’s mother Terry O’Malley, who inherited the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1979. Baseball ownership is in their family and John has a chance to put this lawsuit drama behind them. While he is not involved in the suit, it will be a story moving into the 2025 season.
Now that the ownership situation is resolved, the Padres should extend starting pitcher Dylan Cease. There have been conversations about trading Cease just one year after trading for him.
Christopher Hennessy is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints, with additional expertise in the NHL and golf. He graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022, and he has work experience at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders reporter.
