Widow of late Padres chairman Peter Seidler sues two of husband's brothers over control of team

Kevin Acee, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Jan 6, 2025

Published in Baseball

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SAN DIEGO — Sheel Seidler, the widow of former Padres chairman Peter Seidler, is contesting control of the franchise.

Seidler filed suit in Texas on Monday, accusing two of Peter Seidler’s brothers of “fiduciary breaches of trust” and “fraud” in their handling of the Seidler Trusts, which control the Padres. The suit seeks to void the team’s appointment of John Seidler as the team’s control person.

Sportico first reported the lawsuit.

Sheel Seidler posted a statement on X in which she said the complaint was “a last resort” filed “to protect my family and to continue to carry out Peter’s legacy.”

The Padres announced last month that John Seidler, Peter Seidler’s oldest brother, would assume control of the team. Eric Kutsenda, a longtime business partner and friend of Peter Seidler, served as interim control person in the 13 months following Seidler’s death.

Sheel Seidler claims in the suit, which names Matt Seidler and Robert Seidler as defendants, that Peter Seidler expressed before he died that he wanted her to take over as control person.

Through a spokesman, the Padres declined comment on Monday.

Sheel Seidler, who in a text message in December said she would talk to a reporter after the new year, did not immediately return a voice message on Monday.

Sheel Seidler is among a group of Peter Seidler’s family members, including cousins, that account for ownership of approximately 45% of the Padres, according to multiple sources. Sheel Seidler’s lawsuit states she and her children own approximately 25% of the team, which makes them the largest shareholder. Mexican billionaire Alfredo Harp Helú is the only person outside the Seidler and O’Malley families to own at least 15% of the club. That is the minimum threshold to be eligible as a team’s control person.

Attached to the lawsuit was a copy of a handwritten note purportedly written by Peter Seidler with the heading “Future Control Person.” Atop the list of 14 people were the names of Sheel and the couple’s three children.

This is in contrast to what multiple people in and around the franchise have said over the course of the past two years. Since rumors of his declining health began circulating, people who were close to Peter Seidler have contended he said his wife would not assume control of the team when he died.

In his last public interview, in July 2023, Seidler said that his plan was for the Padres to remain in his family for generations. Asked what that meant and if Sheel Seidler would take over in the event of his death, Peter Seidler said he was not going to get into specifics.

Seidler, already a two-time cancer survivor, revealed in that July 2023 interview that he was ill with a form of cancer. He said assuredly the type of cancer he had was not fatal. However, he confided that he was resigned to his ongoing health issues likely resulting in an earlier death than he would like.

He died Nov. 14, 2023 at age of 63 from an infection related to his compromised immune system.

Peter Seidler was part of a group that bought the Padres in August 2012. Ron Fowler was the team’s chairman from 2013 through ‘20. Peter Seidler assumed that role in November 2020.

His widow’s lawsuit injects uncertainty into the Padres’ offseason — and their future.

The team has signaled its intention to continue under a course of financial restraint that Peter Seidler veered from in his three seasons as the team’s chairman. They made the playoffs in 2024 despite chopping nearly $100 million from their payroll. Team sources have said payroll will increase in 2025 but remain far from the aggressive spending of Seidler’s tenure.

Multiple sources said earlier this offseason that the Padres were required by Major League Baseball to name a control person by the start of spring training. It is not known how the lawsuit will affect the transfer of control.

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