Rival GM Sends Warning to Padres' New Owners

When Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Joneswere announced as the new owners of the San Diego Padres, the husband and wife duo proclaimed that there was only one thing on their mind: winning.

“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," the power couple said in a joint statement.

After their resounding wild-card sweep over the Chicago Cubs, it appears that Feliciano and Jones are hoping to make quick work on keeping their promise made just a few short months ago. Regardless of how the 2026 campaign ends, a rival general manager made a grim assertion to the new owners about the financial future of their franchise pillars.

"It's going to get ugly," the anonymous general manager said to ESPN.

The last time the team was sold was in 2012 for a measly $800 million. The recent sale of the team was for a record-breaking $3.9 billion, the largest official team sale in MLB history. In fact, the $4 billion sale of the Los Angeles Angels that is still pending presents a very different situation than the one Jones and Feliciano are entering.

Nearly $80 million seperate the Padres and Angels' total payroll this season, but that separation only grows in future seasons with superstars Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts still owed a collective $810 million.

In 2033, a year where Bogaerts and Machado will both turn 40 years old, there will still be $116 million owed to the four stars.

Right-hander Michael King had one of his best performances of the season on Tuesday to open up the postseason, and will decide whether to opt out of the final two years and $66 million of his contract this offseason. If the Padres want to keep him around, these gargantuan payroll numbers will still have to increase.

Luckily for the franchise, Feliciano doesn't see this as a setback, but as an opportunity.

"To me, those are all opportunities," Feliciano said. "Look at how much we have accomplished — how much this team has accomplished, being from a small market and all those things. To me, the theme is that we've been able to exceed expectations. And we have been able to surprise people."

Something else that sets San Diego apart is the loyal fanbase.

The Friar Faithful were in full support Tuesday and Wednesday, but it was far from a surprising scene. In 2023, the Padres eclipsed 3 million total fans over the course of the regular season — a number not seen since 2004, their inaugural season at Petco Park — and don't appear to be falling below that mark any time soon.

"When you invest in your team, you invest in your organization, not only do you get good players to come and want to play and put yourself in good situations to go win a championship," Machado said, "but you also get a lot of fans to come out here and support."

The payroll numbers may not look great in San Diego. But none of that will matter if baseball's hottest team can accomplish its ultimate goal this season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google