Padres' New Ownership Group Reportedly 'Hates' Dodgers

The San Diego Padres are working under uncertain circumstances as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches this year.

Not only does the team not know which direction that the front office will take between buying and selling, but there set to be a new ownership group in place. Earlier this year, the Padres were sold to José E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones, for a record $3.9 billion, giving new thought to how the team may be run. However, the sale has not become official yet.

Still, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller may be forced to go about his plans in a different manner than normal. Preller has built a reputation for being aggressive at the trade deadline, bringing in all sorts of star talent over the years.

However, the big question around the team right now is what the Padres will do with star closer Mason Miller.

Miller has been put in multiple trade rumors of late, and it's believed that San Diego could consider moving him this summer.

If Miller is made available, there would be no shortage of suitors, with the New York Yankees being the most heavily talked about team for the closer. Some have mentioned the rival Los Angeles Dodgers as a suitor, with LA having the type of prospect haul that could interest the Padres.

However, according to one rival National League scout who spoke to NJ.com, the new ownership group of the Padres has some strong feelings toward the Dodgers — and would never send Miller there.

“If Miller’s out there, every contender is going to want him," he said. "The Dodgers have the pieces to get Miller with eight top 100 prospects, but I don’t think the Padres would trade him to their biggest rival. From what I’ve been told, the Padres’ new ownership group hates the Dodgers.”

The hate toward the Dodgers should bode well with the fans in San Diego, with the two teams building a strong rivalry over the years. And it does make sense why the Padres wouldn't send Miller within the NL West.

Miller still has three more years left on his current contract, so he would be able to face the Padres consistently for a few years. And sending him to the best team in the division would only widen the already large gap between San Diego and the Dodgers.

The play on the field over the next two weeks will ultimately determine how San Diego approaches the trade deadline, so the Padres' players will have some say in how the process goes. But if Preller has his way, the Padres will be buyers as they've been in just about every year of his tenure.

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