• Loading stock data...
Monday, December 23, 2024

As Padres Ownership Shifts to John Seidler, How Will the Team Spend?

When the late Peter Seidler was running the Padres, the club spent far beyond what the market would suggest. All eyes are on his eldest brother, John, on whether that will continue. 

Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

There’s been a changing of the guard in the Padres’ ownership, but will the club continue to spend aggressively in its pursuit to unseat the rival Dodgers?

John Seidler is set to become the team’s new designated control executive, succeeding his late, younger brother, Peter, who died in November 2023. Since then, the club has been overseen on an interim basis by Eric Kutsenda, a founding partner of Seidler Equity. 

A defining note of Peter Seidler’s ownership was the Padres’ push to boost payroll and challenge the Dodgers, winners of 11 of the last 12 National League West division titles and the 2024 World Series champions. In 2023, Peter Seidler’s final season, San Diego’s payroll reached $282.8 million, the third highest in MLB and more than twice the level of 2019—the last full season before he took control of the club in late 2020. 

After his death, however, the club’s spending dropped precipitously to $184.9 million in 2024, MLB’s 15th highest. During this transition period, the team also traded away Juan Soto, who played one season with the Yankees before signing a record-setting $765 million deal with the Mets. Despite the cuts, the Padres reached the NL Division Series, falling to the Dodgers in five games.

Familiar Themes

The Tigers went through a similar ownership and philosophical shift after former owner Mike Ilitch died in 2017, with that club’s spending in the early 2020s under son and current chair Christopher Ilitch generally trailing what it was a decade earlier. In a more constrained economic model, the franchise had a surprising renaissance in 2024, reaching the American League Division Series. 

In a statement, however, the Padres suggested the approaches of the two Seidlers would be very similar.

“Peter never viewed the Padres as ‘his’ team. Instead, he saw the team as an asset of the community of which he was a faithful steward,” the team said. “John shares Peter’s vision and will continue to strengthen and nurture this great franchise.”

The Padres, meanwhile, are among the teams making an active pitch to sign Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who is set to join Major League Baseball after starring in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Due to his age, Sasaki would play at a bargain rate.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Herbstreit and Ryan Day

ESPN-on-ESPN Crime or ‘Theater’? Stephen A. Smith and Kirk Herbstreit Snipe Over..

The “First Take” and “GameDay” hosts have ripped each other recently.
Nov 23, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers students celebrate during the fourth quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Reser Stadium.

How the Pac-12 Rose From the Ashes in 2024

The conference went from uncertain future to remarkable comeback.
Aug 23, 2024; Sandy, Utah, USA; Utah Royals FC forward Hannah Betfort (33) signs autographs after the match against Bay FC at America First Field.

What’s Next for League Expansion After a Busy 2024

New teams are coming in major U.S. leagues, especially in women’s sports.

Featured Today

Texas Memorial Stadium

Inside the First On-Campus College Football Playoff Games

FOS is on the ground in Austin for Clemson-Texas.
Pat McAfee holds up the USC Gamecock during ESPN Gameday near Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Saturday, September 14, 2024.
December 20, 2024

‘Traveling Circus’: How ‘College GameDay’ Plans to Visit Two Campuses in 24..

Inside the show’s grueling schedule for the expanded Playoff.
December 19, 2024

The Lawsuits That Defined the Business of Sports in 2024

Litigation was flying, and lawyers were busy this year.
Indiana's Elijah Sarratt (13) celebrates a touchdown during the Indiana versus Purdue football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.
December 16, 2024

How College Football Entered an Unprecedented Era of Parity

The reason the expanded Playoff bracket includes new faces.
Oct 20, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets owner Woody Johnson arrives for a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.

Woody Johnson’s Fingerprints Are All Over the Jets Disaster

Players’ “Madden” ratings factored into some decisions.
Dec 12, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto poses for photos during his introductory press conference at Citi Field.
December 17, 2024

Soto Sells: Mets Signing Spurs Record Ticket Sales, Surge in Fan Demand

The MLB club’s ticket sales surge following the historic signing.
December 18, 2024

The Yankees’ Expensive Effort to Replace Juan Soto’s Production

The Yankees’ spending hasn’t missed a beat since Juan Soto chose the Mets.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
December 17, 2024

Kirk Cousins’s Struggles Loom Over Falcons Future (and Salary Cap)

The quarterback is in the first year of a $180 million contract.
December 15, 2024

Steve Cohen Says Mets Ticket Sales ‘Exploded’ From Soto Signing

The Mets were 18th in MLB attendance this past season, Cohen said.
December 13, 2024

Manchester City Is a Mess. It’s Still Breaking Revenue Records

As on-field losses mount, the Premier League giant reports record revenue.
Cody Bellinger
December 13, 2024

The Astros Cheating Scandal Still Looms Large Five Years Later

It may end up a major factor in the Cubs’ and Yankees’ offseasons.