Padres’ ownership transfer finalized

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 19: (L-R) Kwanza Jones, Co-Founder/Kwanza Jones & Jose E. Feliciano, Co-Founder & Managing Partner/Clearlake Capital Group & Co-Founder/Kwanza Jones & Jose E. Feliciano SUPERCHARGED Initiative attend the 2nd Annual SUPERCHARGED Summit 2019 at City Market Social House on October 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images for SUPERCHARGED) | Getty Images for SUPERCHARGED The San Diego Padres are now officially led by José E. Feliciano along with his wife and business partner, Kwanza Jones. The Padres announced that the 29 MLB owners took part in a Zoom call this morning and unanimously approved the sale. The sale of the team was originally announced in April, when the Seidler family came to an agreement with Feliciano and Jones for a record $3.9 billion valuation. The married couple will run the team together, with Feliciano the required single-control person per MLB bylaws. They will own more than 40 percent of the team, along with multiple other investors as part of the ownership group. “On behalf of Major League Baseball, I thank John Seidler and the entire Seidler family for their stewardship of the San Diego Padres. Continuing the legacy established by the late Peter Seidler, the Padres reached the Postseason four times in the last six years, energized one of baseball’s most passionate fanbases, and strengthened the Club’s role as a cornerstone of the San Diego community. We appreciate the Seidler family’s longstanding commitment to our National Pastime and their many contributions to the game. It is my pleasure to welcome José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones as the new majority owners of the Padres following today’s vote,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement issued by the league. “José and Kwanza understand the unique place the Padres hold in San Diego and the powerful bond between the club and its fans. We look forward to their leadership of the Padres and to working with them to build on the club’s strong foundation in a market that is so important to Major League Baseball.”              The Padres organization released a statement that the sale would be finalized “in the coming days.” A news conference introducing Feliciano and Jones as the new owners will take place at Petco Park, Aug. 24. Jones and Feliciano released their own statement, along with the announcement by MLB.    “We are a family first, and becoming owners of the San Diego Padres means joining an even larger one,” Feliciano and Jones said in the Padres’ statement. “We are grateful to the Seidler family, and especially to Peter, for raising the expectations of what this franchise can achieve. We have built our life and our work together, and we will bring that same shared purpose, commitment, and determination to our stewardship of the Padres. 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’ future.” The group assembled by Feliciano and Jones reportedly includes longtime Padres minority owner Alfredo Harp Helú, who is reportedly increasing his investment, and members of the Seidler family, who are retaining their involvement in the team.  The sons of longtime Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry and Jeanne Buss, Joey and Jesse Buss, are also reportedly new owners in the group. The announcement brings to a close the process that began last November when the Seidler family announced that the Padres were being made available for sale. It was a long-expected announcement after the death of team owner/control person Peter Seidler in November of 2023. Multiple individuals and groups were rumored to be interested in purchasing the team, but the process was narrowed to primarily Feliciano and Jones, as well as a group led by Dan Friedkin (owner of AS Roma and Everton FC) and Joe Lacob (owner of the Golden State Warriors). Feliciano and Jones were announced as the winning bidders in April, with an ownership group assembled by the couple submitting their financials and the process culminating in the vote held today.