The San Diego Padres have narrowed down the list of potential buyers down to four groups, according to reports. A second and final round of bids to purchase the MLB franchise will be submitted in April.
In late February, five prospective ownership groups reportedly placed bids to the Seidler family. One of those groups is no longer in the running, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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Each of the remaining four groups has been informed that they are still in the running and met with the Padres management at the team’s spring training complex in Peoria, Arizona this week. However, the four ownership groups expected to submit bids have not been revealed publicly.
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Previously, Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob was reported to front one of the ownership groups. Lacob, 70, has owned the Warriors since 2010, winning four NBA championships and becoming the most valuable team in the league. He had made earlier attempts to purchase the Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Two of other groups reportedly expressing interest in buying the Padres are led by Dan Friedkin and José E. Feliciano. Friedkin and his Pursuit Sports group own Everton of the Premier League and AS Roma in Serie A. Feliciano’s private equity firm Clearlake Capital own Premier League club Chelsea.
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Friedkin previously pursued a purchase of the Boston Celtics before Bill Chisholm and his Symphony Technology Group won the bidding last spring.
Another group reported to show interest in making a bid involved Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees and was led by Vuori founder and CEO Joe Kudla. Brees regularly attends Padres games and is reportedly friends and workout partners with Kudla, whose activewear clothing company is located in nearby Carlsbad, California. However, it’s not known if the Brees group is one of the four finalists in the second round of bidding.
The Seidler family, which currently owns the Padres, has been exploring a potential sale since November. Chairman and majority stakeholder Peter Seidler died in November 2023 at the age of 63 after a long illness. John Seidler, Peter’s brother, currently controls the family trust, and thus the Padres, after being approved by MLB owners a year ago.
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According to reports, the Seidler family is seeking a sale price close to $3 billion, which would be the highest-ever for an MLB team. Steve Cohen bought the New York Mets for $2.4 billion in 2020, the highest purchase price for an MLB club.