Peter Seidler's Brothers Suggest Widow's Lawsuit Hurt Padres' Roki Sasaki Chances

The San Diego Padres have been caught in the crosshairs of a family war.

On Monday, Matt Seidler filed a response to Sheel Seidler’s lawsuit, claiming that the late Padres chairman Peter Seidler’s widow is undermining her late husband's wishes and tarnishing his legacy.

Matt also seems to believe Sheel Seidler is to blame for the Padres losing out on Roki Sasaki.

“During a crucial time when Padres management was in late negotiation stages with a star pitcher, Sheel’s lawsuit recklessly suggested that Matt and his brothers were plotting to relocate the Padres elsewhere,” the filing read.

Dane Butswinkas, counsel for Sheel Seidler, also released a statement blaming Matt and Robert Seidler for not being able to sign Roki Sasaki, who ultimately chose the Los Angeles Dodgers instead.

"Matt and Robert Seidler must be relieved to have an easy scapegoat for their failure to sign Roki Sasaki," Butswinkas said. "The outcome could have been different if they hadn’t blocked Sheel from participating in the recruitment process, despite her many pleas to put aside any differences and help do what’s best for the Padres.”

Sasaki and his agent have stated they were aware of the Padres’ ownership issues, but they did not suggest that the situation played a major role in their decision to sign with the Dodgers.

However, Sasaki did tell reporters during his introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium that front office stability was a big factor in choosing the Dodgers.

More news: Seidler Family Turmoil and Front Office Instability Are Threatening Padres' Future: Column

"I think the No. 1 thing that stood out was the stability of the front office," Sasaki said through a translator. "I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of teams, and they had a lot of appealing features. But overall, when I looked at the general consensus, I thought that the Dodgers were at the top."

In December, about 20 MLB teams reached out to Sasaki in an attempt to bring him to their city. He reportedly met with at least eight teams in person in Los Angeles, including the Dodgers, Padres, Blue Jays, Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Rangers, and Giants.

Sasaki met with the Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays in person for a second interview.

"As I transition to the major leagues, I am deeply honored that many teams reached out to me with such enthusiasm, especially considering I haven't achieved much in Japan," Sasaki said. "I'm truly grateful to all the team officials who took the time to meet with me through this process.

"Every organization helped me in its own way, and it was an incredibly difficult decision to choose just one. ... I am fully aware that there are many different opinions out there, but now that I have decided to come [to Los Angeles], I want to move forward with the belief that the decision I made is the best one."

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