The family of the late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler is exploring the possibility of selling the franchise.
The Padres announced the Seidler family’s decision to examine a sale Thursday. The club has hired BDT & MSD Partners, which served as an adviser on similar discussions in recent years to and .
John Seidler, after , said his family is “evaluating our future with the Padres, including a potential sale of the franchise.”
“We will undertake this process with integrity and professionalism in a way that honors Peter’s legacy and love for the Padres and lays the foundation for the franchise’s long-term success,” John Seidler added in a statement. “During the process and as we prepare for the 2026 season, the Padres will continue to focus on their players, employees, fans and community while putting every resource into winning a World Series championship. We remain fully committed to this team, its fans, and the San Diego community.”
Peter Seidler was part of a group that purchased the Padres for $800 million in 2012, and he became the team’s primary owner in November 2020 after buying out Ron Fowler’s majority stake. He quickly endeared himself to 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, in an attempt to prevent John Seidler from becoming the team’s control person. Sheel Seidler alleged Peter Seidler wanted her to succeed him, but “entirely untrue, and we will vigorously defend ourselves against them.”
Peter Seidler, a grandson of former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, built the foundation for the longest sustained stretch of winning in Padres history.
San Diego has made the postseason four times in the past six years, winning at least 90 games in each of the last two seasons with an exciting roster built around stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. The Padres continued to win despite reducing their payroll in 2024 following Peter Seidler’s death.
The Padres won 90 games this year before losing a tense three-game Wild Card Series to the Chicago Cubs. Earlier this week, general manager A.J. Preller introduced former Padres reliever .
The Padres’ large, loyal fan base and their home the well-regarded Petco Park would be significant assets for a potential new owner. The San Diego metropolitan area is among the top 20 largest markets in the U.S., yet the Padres were the only major professional sports team in town between the departure of the NFL’s Padres in 2017 and the arrival of this season.
Not every consideration of a potential sale leads to an actual sale in MLB. Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno explored a sale of his franchise for several months in late 2022 .
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