The San Diego Padres are under new ownership. The MLB franchise has reached an agreement to sell a controlling interest to an investor group led by Puerto Rican billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones. The deal, confirmed by the family of late owner Peter Seidler, is expected to set a record for the highest price paid for an MLB team, surpassing the $2.42 billion sale of the New York Mets in 2020. While a specific sale price was not disclosed, the Padres were recently valued at $3.9 billion.
In a joint statement, Feliciano and Jones called the Padres 'a unifying force' in San Diego and committed to building on the franchise's foundation. 'We are all in - with the goal of bringing a World Series championship to San Diego,' the group said. Feliciano is on track to become the second Latino owner in Major League Baseball, joining Angels owner Arte Moreno.
The sale is not yet official and must receive league approval. The Padres have been a hot ticket in San Diego, ranking second in MLB attendance last season. The team is off to a strong start, sitting second in the NL West at 19-13, and has made the playoffs in four of the past six seasons.