Padres' $3.9B sale is 'insane' – but may save MLB from self-destruction

Yet, in the meantime, that stagging $3.9 billion just put a sledgehammer to the argument that the game isn’t prospering and needs an overhaul in the next collective bargaining agreement.

“I’m just glad," one executive said, “that I don’t have to be the guy to explain to the players association why this sale won’t matter in negotiations.”

Will the sale diminish MLB’s argument for a salary cap?

“How can it not?" one owner said.

This isn’t the Yankees, Dodgers or Mets being sold.

This is the Padres, who reside in the 30th-largest market in the country.

This is a team tucked into a Southern California beach town with Los Angeles to the North, Mexico to the South, the desert to the East, and the Pacific Ocean to the West.

While the Dodgers have TV revenues averaging $334 million a year, the Padres, who lost their TV contract three years ago, are earning about $30 million, a massive $300 gulf.

And yet, 14 years after Peter Seidler and Ron Fowler purchased the Padres for $800 million, that investment soared by a whopping $387.5%.

“I think it goes to show what cities are capable of,” Padres starter Joe Musgrove, a lifelong San Diego resident told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I think people like to lean on the stereotypes of we’re a small-market town, so we’re going to kind of stay in our pocket, and it’s kind of a fallback. But Peter started something that seems to have carried on far beyond him and is going to keep going."

Washington Nationals right fielder Daylen Lile attempts to catch a ball hit for a single by the Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum during the first inning at PNC Park on April 16, 2026. The Nationals won the game, 8-7.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez wears a special chest protector to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at American Family Field on April 15, 2026.

April 13: The Pittsburgh Pirates' Spencer Horwitz celebrates a home run in the dugout while wearing a welder's hood during the 16-5 win over the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.

April 12: Philadelphia Phillies mascot, The Phanatic, entertains fans with local team mascots for a birthday celebration before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.

April 11: The Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda (left) celebrates with Ryan Vilade after hitting a walk-off single against the New York Yankees in the 10th inning of a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.

The Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez acknowledges the fans after becoming the team's all-time leader in games played against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 6, 2026.

A rainbow appears during the fourth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 6, 2026.

A fan dresses as the Pope claps during the first inning of the game between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field on April 5, 2026. The White Sox won the game, 3-0, to complete a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays.

The Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin celebrates with a traffic cone after making his major-league debut in a 5-4 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3, 2026.

A young Red Sox fan meets Tessie the Boston Red Sox mascot before the Red Sox's home opener against the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park on April 3, 2026.

Cleveland Guardians players warm up as the launch of NASA's Artemis II is shown on the center-field video board at Dodger Stadium on April 1, 2026.

Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) and center fielder Jakob Marsee celebrate a victory against the Chicago White Sox at loanDepot Park on April 1, 2026.

Fans try to catch a solo home run hit by the San Francisco Giants' Matt Chapman as San Diego Padres left fielder Nick Castellanos looks on during the third inning at Petco Park on March 31, 2026.

Philadelphia Phillies mascot The Phillie Phanatic entertains fans during the game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2026.

The Toronto Blue Jays' Kazuma Okamoto gets doused with ice water by teammates after a win over the Athletics at Rogers Centre on March 29, 2026.

The Cincinnati Reds' Eugenio Suárez blows a bubble as he waits to bat against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026.

The St. Louis Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt is doused with water by teammates after hitting a walk-off two-run single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the 10th inning at Busch Stadium on March 28, 2026.

Fans react as the Milwaukee Brewers' Jake Bauers homers against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on March 26, 2026.

Two F-35C planes from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE Detachment Edwards Air Force Base perform a flyover before the Opening Day game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Washington Nationals right fielder Daylen Lile attempts to catch a ball hit for a single by the Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum during the first inning at PNC Park on April 16, 2026. The Nationals won the game, 8-7.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Washington Nationals right fielder Daylen Lile attempts to catch a ball hit for a single by the Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum during the first inning at PNC Park on April 16, 2026. The Nationals won the game, 8-7.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez wears a special chest protector to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at American Family Field on April 15, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

April 13: The Pittsburgh Pirates' Spencer Horwitz celebrates a home run in the dugout while wearing a welder's hood during the 16-5 win over the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

April 12: Philadelphia Phillies mascot, The Phanatic, entertains fans with local team mascots for a birthday celebration before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

April 11: The Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda (left) celebrates with Ryan Vilade after hitting a walk-off single against the New York Yankees in the 10th inning of a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

The Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez acknowledges the fans after becoming the team's all-time leader in games played against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 6, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

A rainbow appears during the fourth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 6, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

A fan dresses as the Pope claps during the first inning of the game between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field on April 5, 2026. The White Sox won the game, 3-0, to complete a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

The Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin celebrates with a traffic cone after making his major-league debut in a 5-4 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

A young Red Sox fan meets Tessie the Boston Red Sox mascot before the Red Sox's home opener against the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park on April 3, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Cleveland Guardians players warm up as the launch of NASA's Artemis II is shown on the center-field video board at Dodger Stadium on April 1, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) and center fielder Jakob Marsee celebrate a victory against the Chicago White Sox at loanDepot Park on April 1, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Fans try to catch a solo home run hit by the San Francisco Giants' Matt Chapman as San Diego Padres left fielder Nick Castellanos looks on during the third inning at Petco Park on March 31, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Philadelphia Phillies mascot The Phillie Phanatic entertains fans during the game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

The Toronto Blue Jays' Kazuma Okamoto gets doused with ice water by teammates after a win over the Athletics at Rogers Centre on March 29, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

The Cincinnati Reds' Eugenio Suárez blows a bubble as he waits to bat against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

The St. Louis Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt is doused with water by teammates after hitting a walk-off two-run single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the 10th inning at Busch Stadium on March 28, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Fans react as the Milwaukee Brewers' Jake Bauers homers against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on March 26, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Two F-35C planes from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE Detachment Edwards Air Force Base perform a flyover before the Opening Day game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026.

Seidler, with the help of Fowler until 2020 when Seidler took over as Padres chairman, turned a sleepy franchise into a behemoth. He poured money into the team, with a payroll exceeding $200 million since 2022, and ranking third behind only the New York Mets and Yankees in 2023.

In turn, the Padres have enjoyed their greatest run of success in franchise history, reaching the postseason four times in the past six years.

While their TV deal is one of the worst in MLB, they are making up for it at the gate. The Padres have set franchise attendance records the past three seasons, ranking second behind only the Dodgers this year, averaging 42,395 fans a game. They sold out 72 of their 81 home games last year, drawing 3.4 million fans, more than any team but the Dodgers.

Seidler, who passed away two years ago, always believed that fans would show up with a good product on the field, and they certainly responded, drawing more than three million fans for a franchise-record three consecutive years.

Certainly, it helps being the only major sports team in town, but their overwhelming success lets every small market owner know: “If you win, they will come."

“You look at what’s going on in our city, and not just in our city but across the state of baseball, and this game is in an amazing place," Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth, an influential member of the union’s executive sub-committee, told reporters Friday. “And for the market that we’re in, and for what the team just sold for, I think shows where the game is.

“You see there are owners that want to win and want to put a great product on the field because they see the benefits of it is. I think today is a perfect example what the benefit is.”

While owners will once again push for a salary cap, they also know that even if there are no restrictions in the next agreement, good times are ahead.

Commissioner Rob Manfred has spoken to owners about centralizing media rights, projecting that it would provide $250 million per team beginning in 2029. They also expect to generate considerably more money in gambling revenue. And when MLB expands, most likely in 2031, that will provide at least $4.4 billion in expansion fees, worth $146.6 million per team.

Little wonder why the Pohlad family in Minnesota, the Lerners in Washington, D.C., and Arte Moreno in Anaheim went to bed over the weekend with dollar signs dancing in their heads. The three franchises all went up for sale the past two years, and all were pulled back when they didn’t receive the offers they anticipated. Now, with the Padres’ sale, those price tags will only soar.

It’s a shame Seidler is not alive to see it. Of course, he never would have sold the Padres, but his vision has helped every small- and mid-market team in baseball. If the Padres can be worth nearly $4 billion, other owners know they have the ability for a gold mine too.

Seidler insisted for years that baseball was in a healthy place, and even though the Padres went $300 million in debt, and needed to take out a $50 million loan in 2023, their franchise quietly soared in value. Seidler was so bullish on the industry that he was opposed to the short-term CBA.

“Why have a five-year deal?” he told USA TODAY Sports in an interview in his office in 2021. “Let’s make it 10 years. Why do this all over again so soon?"

If Seidler were alive now, he might be pushing for a 20-year deal, but even from the heavens he must be smiling knowing that the passion and energy that he poured into the team is being rewarded.

He also can take great pride knowing that Feliciano and Jones will also be making baseball history as minority owners. Feliciano would become the first Puerto Rican-born owner of an MLB team. His wife, Jones, a professional singer and music producer who also has a law degree, would become the first African-American to be a majority owner of an MLB team.

The couple, graduates from Princeton, are expected to officially be announced this week as the incoming owners, and should be approved by their fellow MLB owners before the All-Star break.

They just may be the perfect power couple to be handed the torch from the Seidler family, carrying out Seidler’s dream of winning the Padres’ first World Series championship.

And, at the end of the year, if an agreement can be reached by MLB and the players union by Dec. 1, with that impending lockout never coming to pass, well, you can thank San Diego’s newest residents.

Their historic purchase might have dramatically altered the entire CBA landscape.

Around the basepaths

– While Padres starter Yu Darvish already gave the Padres a $15 million gift by going on the unpaid restricted list instead of being paid while on the IL, San Diego players are hoping that their new ownership group increases payroll.

“I think they kind of want to follow Peter’s legacy,” Padres All-Star third baseman Manny Machado told reporters. “If you’re bidding that high, it kind of tells you everything about what you want for the organization.”

– If the New York Mets haven’t been a big enough embarrassment already in the past year, going 45-68 since June 13, 2025, their opening-day payroll is $358.4 million – almost $35 million more than the Dodgers’ $323.3 million payroll.

And for that, they entered Saturday tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in baseball.

This is a team that had one losing streak of at least eight games in their past 21 seasons. They’ve had two in the last 40 games.

David Stearns, Mets president of baseball operations, says that manager Carlos Mendoza’s job is safe for now. Yet, Mendoza’s contract also expires at the end of the season and he’s one of three managers this year without a contract in 2027, joining Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kurt Suzuki of the Los Angeles Angels.

– The Angels' Jose Soriano, 27, became the first pitcher in the modern era to go 5-0 in his first five starts while permitting no more than one run in any game and less than 12 total hits.

Why, the only pitchers to allow one or no runs in first five starts of a season are Hall of Famer Walter Johnson with the 1913 Washington Senators and Los Angeles Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela in 1981.

– While the Houston Astros have gotten off to a horrific start, scouts are raving about young right fielder Cam Smith, predicting he will be a superstar, at least a perennial All-Star.

The Astros acquired Smith, infielder Isaac Paredes and pitcher Hayden Wesneski in December, 2024, from the Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade, the finest deal in GM Dana Brown’s tenure.

– The Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a 15-4 start, equaling the best by a defending World Series champion in history, and this is despite two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell not throwing a pitch, second baseman Tommy Edman not taking an at-bat and future Hall of Famer Mookie Betts on the injured list.

This team is so richly deep and talented that center fielder Andy Pages, who entered Saturday leading the league in hitting (.412), hits (28), RBIs (21) and slugging percentage (.691), has yet to bat higher than sixth in the Dodgers’ lineup this season.

Gulp.

– Since signing a four-year, $72 million contract with the Phillies in December 2022, Taijuan Walker has yielded an 8.40 in the first inning. Opponents are hitting .526 with a 1.053 slugging percentage against Walker in the first inning this season. He has already given up more first inning runs this year than 16 teams in the big leagues.

– The coolest moment of all last week was the home-run derby between three-time MVPs Mike Trout and Aaron Judge, combining for nine home runs, five by Trout. He became the first visiting player to homer five times in a series at Yankee Stadium since George Bell of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1990.

Who knows if Trout can stay healthy all season after missing 371 games since 2021, but for one glorious series at Yankee Stadium, he put on a show to remind everyone that he once was the greatest player in the game.

Providing he stays healthy, his showing alone should reward him with his first All-Star selection in three years.

– You can’t find a pitcher who won’t tell you the strike zone has definitely shrunk this year with the ABS challenge system in place, as evidenced by the walk rate being at an all-time high. The walk rate in baseball is at 9.9%, the highest it has been in at least 70 years.

“The good thing about is that a few of the umpires who are terrible being the plate," one veteran pitcher said, “are being exposed. “The bad news is that you know the full ABS system is coming, taking the human element out of the game. I hate that."

– Considering the way Shohei Ohtani dominated while being used as a pitcher without DH duties for the first time since 2021 – yielding two hits, one run with 10 strikeouts in six innings – don’t be surprised if the Dodgers now start employing this tactic much more often.

After all, with their powerful lineup, they’ve got plenty of guys who can step into the DH role once in a while to give Ohtani a bit of a breather when pitching.

– The Chicago White Sox are expecting a potential sellout crowd for their “Pope Hat" giveaway on Aug. 11 against the Cincinnati Reds. The promotion originally was supposed to be capped at about 1,500 people, but now it will be a giveaway for everyone who enters the ballpark.

Hey, why not take advantage when Pope Leo, who was born Robert Prevost, grew up a diehard White Sox fan and attended one of their  World Series’ games in 2005.

– And the streak goes on….

It’s unreal that the Cleveland Guardians haven’t had a pitcher throw a no-hitter since Len Barker on May 15, 1981, the longest drought in baseball. They’ve had four Cy Young winners since that day – CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Corey Kluber and Shane Bieber – but not a single no-hitter.

Rookie Parker Messick nearly changed that narrative when he had a no-hitter through eight innings last week against the Baltimore Orioles, only for it to end when Leody Taveras led off with a single to open the ninth inning.

The streak lives on at 16,411 days entering the weekend.

– Baltimore Orioles rookie manager Craig Albernaz certainly earned instant street cred when he took a pitch off his face in the dugout, suffering seven franchises in his right cheek with a broken jaw, and still returned to the dugout before trainers insisted he be transported to a local hospital.

It’s been the year of managerial toughness with Atlanta’s Walt Weiss tackling Jorge Soler during a brawl a week earlier.

– Pardon Pirates ace Paul Skenes for not knowing what to do with himself with his teammates scoring 32 runs in his first four starts, with at least seven runs in each game. Simply, he’s not used to this kind of run support. He has made 37 starts in which the Pirates didn’t score a single run while in the game.

– Congratulations to Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson, who played in his 800th consecutive game last week, the 11th-longest in MLB history. He has not missed a game since May 2021 when he was hit in the left eye during batting practice. He should pass Gus Suhr (822), Eddie Yost (829) and Stan Musial (895) for eighth-place on the all-time consecutive games played list by August.

Most emotional moment of the Week: Alex Vesia, Dodgers.

Vesia and his wife, Kayla, chose healthcare appreciation night at Dodger Stadium to celebrate the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who cared for them last October through the death of their newborn daughter Sterling Sol.

Vesia, trying to keep his emotions in check, went out in the ninth pitched a 1-2-3 inning against the Mets for the save.

“Today was the first time I’ve seen pretty much all of them since everything,” Vesia told reporters. “So it was very special, very emotional. …I couldn’t have written it any better.”

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Could Padres sale save MLB from upcoming labor apocalypse?