"Now his wife and brothers are in a fight" - MLB insider believes Peter Seidler’s death changed San Diego Padres' future

In the last few years, the San Diego Padres seemed closer to the World Series than they ever were. However, following the death of owner Peter Seidler in December 2023, the organization is in complete disarray. Seidler's family is in the middle of a dispute regarding the control of the Padres.

MLB insider Jeff Passan, on The Michael Kay Show on Wednesday, highlighted that the Padres are in a state of limbo, with ownership disputes and financial uncertainty preventing them from making major moves.

“Peter Seidler wanted to win — end of story,” Passan said (22:57 onwards). “If he were still alive, I think there's a really solid chance he would have signed Juan Soto long-term in San Diego.”

However, Seidler’s family is now embroiled in a battle for control of the franchise, which has paralyzed the Padres’ offseason. Passan continued:

"Now, instead, his wife and brothers are in a fight over the ownership of the team. They haven’t signed a single player this winter. They missed out on Roki Sasaki, whom they spent years courting and hoping he would come to San Diego. Instead, of course, he goes to the Dodgers."

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Could the Padres begin a fire sale?

As far as the dispute is concerned, Sheel Siedler, the widow of Peter Seidler, claims that her late husband wanted her to take control of the Padres in the event of his death. She blamed Peter's brothers Matthew and Robert for trying to prevent that from happening.

With the uncertain ownership situation, Jeff Passan suggested that San Diego may even consider trading key players like Michael King or Dylan Cease, who become free agents after 2025.

"When your two best pitchers, Michael King and Dylan Cease, are both free agents after this season, you have to at least consider moving one of them and seeing what you can do," Passan said.

Under Seidler’s leadership, the Padres were one of baseball’s biggest spenders, acquiring Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Yu Darvish in a quest to win the franchise’s first World Series. But with his death, the franchise has gone from a win-now mentality to financial hesitation.

The biggest blow of the offseason came when Japanese ace Roki Sasaki, who was long linked with San Diego, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead

With the Dodgers and the Giants making major moves, Padres fans are left wondering what the future holds and whether the team can remain competitive in the loaded NL West.