According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, MLB owners have unanimously approved John Seidler as the San Diego Padres’ new control person. John is the brother of former Padres owner Peter Seidler, who passed away at age 63 on November 14th, 2023. John, 65, is a successful business executive and entrepreneur who has been a part of the Padres ownership since 2012. He was also named a temporary owner when his brother passed away.
On January 6th, Peter’s wife, Sheel Seidler, filed a lawsuit against Peter’s brothers. While John had good intentions for Sheel to take on the role, she believed brothers Matt and Bob were trying to stop her from being owner. Peter also prohibited his wife from being a trustee. It’s been a soap opera with the Padres and their ownership issues, which have inevitably played a role in negatively impacting the organization. This also indicates how ownership can either make or break a team. In late January it was speculated that the Minnesota Twins would benefit from adding a new owner.
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.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 6, 2025
Padres Name John Seidler as New Control Person
The Padres’ ownership issues represent numerous red flags that have seemingly driven away players from signing with the team. A major factor that weighed in on Roki Sasaki not signing with the Padres was their lack of stability with ownership. The family drama, along with Sheel’s lawsuit and the slow offseason, are all elements that influenced Sasaki’s decision. The Padres have not been aggressive this offseason with making trades or acquiring any big-name free agents available on the market. Overall, this has frustrated Padres fans, amounting to a slow offseason. The Padres were confident with their pitch to Sasaki and had two meetings with the Japanese star. But the lawsuit was enough for Sasaki to choose the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The ownership situation can also be labeled as unfit due to family members suing one another. This would, without question, make anyone hesitate to join the organization. The Padres’ ownership issues seem far less than over. When it all comes down to it, a finger gets pointed once again to Peter. While he only owned 24% of the Padres, he dominated by persuading the other 76% to spend money recklessly. The continuous drama this offseason has even led fans to suggest selling the team.
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