The San Diego Padres are fresh off one of the most exciting seasons. But now, they are in the center of a storm with a legal battle that could change the franchise forever. At the heart of this is Sheel Kamal Seidler, the widow of former team owner Pete Seidler, who is suing her late husband’s brothers Bob and Matt Seidler for control of the team. The lawsuit was filed in Texas, and Sheel accuses the brother of violating their responsibilities as the trustees of the Seidler Trust, which owns the San Diego Padres.

Sheel mentioned that the brothers conspired to buy trust assets in a bargain to gain control. But it’s not just business affairs that Sheel accuses the brother of. She also claims that they were unwilling and tried to stop her, an Indian American woman, from leading the team. As if that’s not enough, she mentioned that Bob Seidler’s wife directed unwarranted comments at her. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any stranger, Roki Sasaki’s name got dropped in the suit.

Sheel Seidler’s lawsuit and the San Diego Padres’ future

The lawsuit claims that Peter Seidler had a vision for the San Diego Padres—a family-centric franchise where his wife Sheel and his children would play an important role. The lawsuit highlights that Sheel has gotten much media attention and even gave an example. As the lawsuit claims, “For instance, a recent column in the San Diego Union-Tribune underscored Sheel’s critical role in successfully recruiting players, opining that Sheel Seidler, the former chairman’s wife, should be part of the Padres team that tries to woo Roki Sasaki.” Imagine Sasaki, who already wants a smaller team minus the media attention, finding his name dropped in a legal saga!

But Roki Sasaki‘s mention is not all that’s to this lawsuit; Sheel also alleges that Peter’s brothers, Matt and Bob, are setting the stage to sell or probably relocate the team. She mentioned that her family holds the largest single-family ownership stake, about one-quarter. But Matt and Bob have pushed for another sibling, i.e., John Seidler, to take control. Just last month, the team announced Jon as the next control person; however he is now pending MLB approval.

Sheel Seidler also posted on X, “As the holder of the largest individual ownership stake in the San Diego Padres and the sole beneficiary of the Seidler Trusts, which possess exclusive rights concerning control of the franchise, I am seeking to be named the control person for the Padres.” At this moment and time, seems like the San Diego Padres are in a pickle.

Peter Seidler’s Trust denies the lawsuit claims

The Peter Seidler’s Trust has denied any wrongdoings in the transfer of ownership following the death of Peter Seidler. The Trust, in their statement, said, “Peter had a clear estate plan. The plan specifically named three of his nine siblings, with whom he had worked closely for many decades, as successor trustees of his trust and Peter himself prohibited Sheel from ever serving as trustee. The trustee is exclusively responsible for designating the San Diego Padres’ next Control Person.” 

This is in direct contrast to what Sheel Seidler is making in her lawsuit. So the brothers have dismissed Sheel as a legal action, “entirely without merit.” The trust claims that Sheel has already acknowledged in a sworn statement that she did not have the authority to choose a successor trustee. The statement reads, “In 2020, in connection with Peter’s appointment as Control Person, Sheel agreed in a sworn document that she had no right to be or to designate the Control Person and that she would not interfere with the designated Control Person.”

So far, the Padres and MLB have remained silent on all this. The team has informed the NY Times that they do not want to comment on anything right now. It seems like a protracted legal battle is ahead, and it might get more complex as new evidence is presented by the court from both ends. Ultimately, the court will decide who has the legal right to lead the team in its next chapter; the Padres just have to wait it out.