On August 16, 2012, MLB confirmed the sale of the San Diego Padres to a group led by Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler.

No one knew it then, but the new owners would usher in the most meaningful and successful period of Padre baseball in a long time.

We will have to see if history repeats itself on August 17, 2026.

It’s being reported, and confirmed by the team, that MLB has approved the sale of the San Diego Padres to a consortium led by the husband and wife team of José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones. The vote was unanimous, a very positive step not only for the new owners but for baseball itself. While there are still some final steps to be taken, the biggest hurdle towards the transfer of ownership from the Seidler family to the new group has been cleared. It has also been announced that both A.J. Preller and Erik Greupner will remain in their current roles as General Manager and CEO, respectively.

Commissioner Rob Manfred released the following after the vote:

“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I thank John Seidler and the entire Seidler family for their stewardship of the San Diego Padres. Continuing the legacy established by the late Peter Seidler, the Padres reached the Postseason four times in the last six years, energized one of baseball’s most passionate fan bases, and strengthened the Club’s role as a cornerstone of the San Diego community. We appreciate the Seidler family’s longstanding commitment to our National Pastime and their many contributions to the game.

“It is my pleasure to welcome José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones as the new majority owners of the Padres following today’s vote. José and Kwanza understand the unique place the Padres hold in San Diego and the powerful bond between the Club and its fans. We look forward to their leadership of the Padres and to working with them to build on the Club’s strong foundation in a market that is so important to Major League Baseball.”

The sale of the Padres was for $3.9 billion, the largest sale of a baseball franchise in league history, with Feliciano and Jones expected to maintain ownership of at least 40% of the team. Other members of the ownership group are unknown at the moment but Feliciano and Jones’ group does include longtime Padres minority owner Alfredo Harp Helu, who is said to be increasing his investment. Joey and Jesse Buss, the youngest sons of former Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss is also investing. A few members of the Seidler family are said to be retaining a portion of their stake in the team.

Jones and Feliciano made a statement upon the announcement: “Our ambition is clear: to bring a World Series championship to San Diego and build an enduring organization capable of competing for championships year after year. We intend to be engaged owners, bringing our energy, experience, and perspective while working alongside the talented team already in place and investing ambitiously and thoughtfully in the Padres’ future. That means pursuing excellence and innovation throughout the organization, delivering a first-class experience at Petco Park, deepening the bond with the faithful fans, and making a positive impact across the San Diego community. We are all in and committed to winning.”

This ends the exciting and meaningful, but tumultuous ownership of the Seidler family, which saw some incredible highs and some of the most exciting moments in team history, but ended in a whimper as beloved owner Peter Seidler passed, only to see his brothers fight in court with Peter’s wife as to ownership and control of the team. The new ownership group is believed to have deep pockets, which would be helpful with a team routinely competitive for a title but hamstrung by multiple large contracts.

Loren Casuto

A Native San Diegan, Loren has spent his entire life not only as a fan but an active participant in San Diego’s sports world. In 2006 Loren joined two other die hard Charger fans to create Bolttalk, where Loren was a co-host and regular columnist from 2006 until the Chargers left in 2017. After that he started another podcast, The Grid Podshow, from 2020-2021 with his former co-host and colleague, speaking about the local sports community and popular culture.

When he’s not giving his opinion about San Diego sports, Loren is an adjunct professor at San Diego State and an attorney.