Major League Baseball\u2019s team owners unanimously have approved the sale of the San Diego Padres to an investor group led by private equity billionaire Jos\u00e9 E. Feliciano and his wife and business partner, Kwanza Jones.<\/p>\n
The league announced the approval Monday after a vote. Feliciano and Jones reached an agreement in May<\/a> to buy the Padres from the family of late owner Peter Seidler at an MLB-record valuation of $3.9 billion. The deal is still contingent on the official closing of the transaction in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cJos\u00e9 and Kwanza understand the unique place the Padres hold in San Diego and the powerful bond between the club and its fans,\u201d Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. \u201cWe look forward to their leadership of the Padres and to working with them to build on the club\u2019s strong foundation in a market that is so important to Major League Baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n Seidler\u2019s family announced its intention to explore a sale of the Padres<\/a> last November, two years after Peter Seidler\u2019s death. The 53-year-old Feliciano, a co-founder of Santa Monica-based private equity firm Clearlake Capital, emerged from the competition as the Seidler family\u2019s top choice.<\/p>\n Padres CEO Erik Greupner and general manager A.J. Preller will remain in charge of day-to-day operations, according to MLB\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are a family first, and becoming owners of the San Diego Padres means joining an even larger one,\u201d Jones and Feliciano said in a statement. \u201cWe are grateful to the Seidler family, and especially to Peter, for raising the expectations of what this franchise can achieve. … 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. We intend to be engaged owners, bringing our energy, experience and perspective while working alongside the talented team already in place and investing ambitiously and thoughtfully in the Padres\u2019 future.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are all in and committed to winning.\u201d<\/p>\n Peter Seidler assumed majority control of the Padres in 2020 after first joining their ownership group in 2012, but he became beloved in San Diego for his aggressive financial pursuit of winning and his eagerness to engage with the team\u2019s fan base. He died at 63 in November 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Padres dramatically increased their payroll under Seidler, allowing Preller to build the foundation for the current team, which has made four playoff appearances in the past six years and won at least 89 games in three of the last four seasons during the most successful stretch in franchise history. San Diego is currently in the playoff race again<\/a>, winning 17 of its last 22 games entering Monday to surge into an NL wild-card position at 67-58.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as the day-to-day operations, nothing changes for us,\u201d Padres manager Craig Stammen said in New York before San Diego\u2019s series opener against the Mets. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to go out here and play the games, just like we have all season long. The ownership sale has kind of been something that\u2019s been going on throughout the entire year. It doesn\u2019t really affect the play on the field, but we\u2019re excited to have Jos\u00e9 and Kwanza a part of the Padres and can\u2019t wait to welcome them.\u201d<\/p>\n The minority partners in the Padres\u2019 new ownership group include Joey and Jesse Buss, two sons of former Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Coincidentally, the six Buss siblings decided earlier Monday to sell their remaining minority ownership stake<\/a> in the Lakers to incoming majority owners Josh Kushner and Bob Iger.<\/p>\n When Feliciano and Jones reached their agreement to purchase the Padres earlier this year, they praised the team as \u201ca unifying force in San Diego, rooted in community, connection and belonging.\u201d They\u2019ve since been spotted at Padres games in San Diego and in Mexico City.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to see people that care working with us, you know?\u201d Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill said. \u201cI mean, the Seidlers cared a lot. It\u2019ll be fun to see how these people take it, mold it into their own, you know? Trust in them, as they trust in us on the field. So, full confidence in them. Excited to meet them.\u201d<\/p>\n The Padres have never won a World Series, but they were a valuable commodity for potential owners as the only team in the four biggest North American sports leagues in a metropolitan area with roughly 3.3 million people. Downtown Petco Park has become one of the liveliest ballparks in the sport, and the Padres ranked second in the majors in attendance last season.<\/p>\n Feliciano, who was born in Puerto Rico, becomes the second Latino principal owner in baseball, along with the Los Angeles Angels\u2019 Arte Moreno. Latino and Hispanic players comprise roughly 30% of major league rosters.<\/p>\n Feliciano and Jones will hold an introductory news conference at Petco Park on Monday, Aug. 24.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York contributed to this report.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n