Will the Padres Ownership Infighting Affect Their Ability to Land Free Agents?

The San Diego Padres have had a quiet offseason in terms of adding major league talent.

Off the field, San Diego finds itself in an ownership dispute among the widow of late owner Peter Seidler as she is suing his brothers for control of the team.

Last month, Sheel Seidler filed a lawsuit accusing two of Peter's brothers of "fiduciary breaches of trust" and "fraud" in their management of the Seidler Trusts, per the lawsuit.

More news: Peter Seidler Trust Spokesperson Denies Wife’s Allegations in Padres Ownership Lawsuit

Ken Rosenthal weighed in on how this might affect San Diego's ability to add free agents via a video tweeted from Foul Territory TV.

"I don't know that players really care about the infighting, if they're getting the offers, but what have the Padres done this offseason? They haven't done anything," Rosenthal said.

Will the @Padres current infighting affect their ability to land free agents? @Ken_Rosenthal weighs in 👇 pic.twitter.com/I69OFLBZos
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 10, 2025

A move that the Padres are inching closer to making is signing Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki as they recently became one of three remaining teams on the right-hander's list.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays are the other teams in contention.

New York Post's Jon Heyman weighed in on how this dispute may affect San Diego's odds of landing Sasaki.

"The Dodgers and Padres have long been the favorites for superstar Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, but some hopeful execs wonder if turmoil at the top of San Diego’s hierarchy — the widow of late owner Peter Seidler is suing his brothers for control of the team — could hinder San Diego’s chances."

Sasaki is at the forefront of the Padres' offseason wishlist and would prove to be an extreme talent for an incredibly low pricetag.

Since the phenom is under the age of 25, he is subject to each MLB team's international bonus pool. The Padres current pool is around $6.2 million, over $1 million higher than the Dodgers who are last in the league at $5.1 million in their pool, tied with the San Francisco Giants.

A spokesman for the Seidler Trusts provided a recent statement on the lawsuit.

“The complaint filed by Sheel Seidler, the widow of Peter Seidler, is entirely without merit. Peter had a clear estate plan. The plan specifically named three of his nine siblings, with whom he had worked closely for many decades, as successor trustees of his trust and Peter himself prohibited Sheel from ever serving as trustee. The trustee is exclusively responsible for designating the San Diego Padres’ next Control Person.

"In 2020 in connection with Peter’s appointment as Control Person, Sheel agreed in a sworn document that she had no right to be or to designate the Control Person and that she would not interfere with the designated Control Person. She also stated in May 2024 that John Seidler, Peter’s eldest brother, would be the best Control Person for the Padres. The Padres have already filed an application to Major League Baseball to appoint John."

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