Padres Predicted to Sell for More Than $3 Billion in Record-Breaking Move

As the 2026 MLB season starts up in a little under two weeks, one of the big storylines across the league is what the future holds for the San Diego Padres. San Diego has been put up for sale, and it seems that the team could be bought for a very large sum of money.

According to MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Padres could be sold for more than $3 billion. This would break the record for an MLB franchise that was set back in 2020 by the New York Mets when Steve Cohen bought the team for a then-record $2.4 billion.

"It wouldn't surprise me if the Padres sell for a record price," Passan wrote. "After the death of beloved owner Peter Seidler and a fight for control of the franchise, the Padres are up for sale with a number of wealthy luminaries involved. Just how high the bidding goes is up to the billionaires and their desire to own a team that has shown spending money and breeding success can juice franchise values.

"Multiple sources familiar with the sale process said they expect the Padres to fetch more than $3 billion, a significant bump from the record $2.4 billion Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets in November 2020."

This is the first time that the club is being sold since 2012, when the Seidler/O'Malley families and Ron Fowler purchased the team for $800 million. Now, the franchise is looking to make a massive profit with this current sale.

There is a list of wealthy investors trying to win the bid to buy the Padres, with a few familiar names to sports fans. Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob and two owners of English Premier League clubs, Dan Friedkin and José E. Feliciano, are among those interested in becoming owners of the San Diego franchise.

Late owner Peter Seidler tried to turn the Padres into a powerhouse in baseball, and he didn't hold back on expenses. Even with the team being a small market club, the Padres still found ways to spend money in the hope of winning a World Series title.

The club has had an Opening Day payroll inside the top-15 of baseball every season since 2020. While the Padres haven't won the World Series yet, they have seen playoff success in recent years.

San Diego reached the National League Championship Series in 2022, and they have made the playoffs in four of the last six years overall. This sale could be the start of a new era for the Padres, and one that the fans hope will bring a World Series title.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI and follow us on X/Twitter and Facebook.