In the world of baseball, a storm is brewing—a loud and clear ask for a salary cap. Almost all other top sports have it in action. So why not MLB? Of course, this won’t be appreciated by the players. And adding fuel to the fire, now, Rob Manfred is playing a voice of reason. Isn’t that a plot twist? At the MLB owners meeting in Palm Beach, the commissioner got himself into the salary cap debate, “I am a huge believer in the idea that there are always multiple solutions to a particular set of concerns.”

Those are bold words. The last time the owners tried to force this cap was back in 1994-1995. Havoc protests from players led to nothing. Moreover, baseball capped a record $12.1 billion last season. So a protest or shutdown now would probably not be that smart. And let’s all just be real—small market teams are not all doomed with the Los Angeles Dodgers or the New York Mets spending an arm and a leg. Or else, wouldn’t the Yankees, who are in a drought since 2009, have already won with their big spending appetite? The best example, though, is one for the San Diego Padres.

How Peter Seidler transformed San Diego into a baseball powerhouse

San Diego’s status as a major sports town had taken a hit when NFL Chargers packed and left for LA in 2017. This move left the city without a football team and also without an owner who cared about its fanbase. It was almost taken as a betrayal. Then enters Seidler. He was just different; he understood what San Diego lost and was sure that he had to give back something big to the city. He was already involved with the Padres and then, in 2020, became chairman, leading to noticeable changes. When Spanos had cut costs, he invested. Where others saw a small market, he saw untapped potential.

So instead of working with limitations with caution, he did the opposite—he spent. And he spent it big time!

Peter Seidler simply refused to let the San Diego Padres be defined by their market size. He poured money into the team, getting players like Manny Machado twice! He also got Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish, and even Joe Musgrove. Seidler didn’t know what settling meant; he always pushed for more. Plus, he believed that if you invest in a winning product, the fans will respond nicely. And boy, they did!

In 2022, the Padres defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs to get into their first NLCS since 1998. It showed their potential, and hence fans showed up. Attendance in Petco Park skyrocketed by a mile. In 2023, the team set a record with 3.27 million fans. And they even topped that off with 3.33 million people just last season – third in all of MLB! They also showed resilience going from a 50-50 start to finishing with the fourth-best record. Even though Tatis Jr. was injured, they stayed competitive.

Offensively too, Jurickson Profar surprised with a team-leading OPS and runs. Manny Machado led in homers and RBI. All the notions that a small market team would be mediocre seem shattered. Seidler gave everyone an example of what an owner should be like. But now with him gone, he has left a void and chaos behind.

A family feud threatens San Diego Padres’ future

What started as a bitter divorce nearly two decades ago led to Peter Seidler and his group of investors purchasing the San Diego Padres. And now, another family dispute is in the works, and it’s Seilder’s own. Now this messy situation could shake the very foundation of the team. So, Sheel Seidler, the widow of the former chairman, has taken legal action against her late husband’s brothers. She accused them of breaching their fiduciary duties and violating Seilder’s wishes for her and their children’s involvement in the franchise. The lawsuit was filed in Texas court.

And did you know she even presented a handwritten note—it’s from her late husband himself! It stated that she should be the team’s future ‘control person.’

Sheel even alleged that Matt and Bob Seidler, Peter’s brothers and trustees of his estate, have been selling assets below the market value to consolidate power. Matt Seidler fired back, calling Sheel’s claims baseless, and accused her of “manufacturing” a story just for the sake of getting control. According to him, Peter never wanted her to have any part in the control of the franchise. Plus, it was also revealed that the trust has already given tens of millions of dollars to Sheel.

Now, despite what Sheel wants, MLB’s other 29 owners have approved Peter’s brother John Seidler as the new control person. The decision will be official in a month after the paperwork. But with an ugly family feud, things are not looking bright. So far, John Seidler has been silent on the lawsuit. But his absence on the ownership vote speaks volumes.

If the case drags out, it could affect the entire team, and in fact, it already has. Several players have left, like Ha-Seong Kim. Moreover, Roki Sasaki, such a powerhouse, was geared to come to San Diego but didn’t. His agent did hint that the leadership issue has something to do with it.

Clearly, the team needs to settle the dust quickly. They can’t let Peter Seidler’s work go for a toss. What do you think the team should opt for? Care to share?