Peter Seidler’s widow, Sheel Seidler, has filed a lawsuit against Peter’s brothers, Matt and Bob Seidler, seeking control of the San Diego Padres. The dispute stems from how matters have been handled following Peter’s death over a year ago. In a statement released Monday evening, the Peter Seidler Trust denied Sheel’s claims, calling them “entirely without merit.” The Trust asserts that Peter had a clear estate plan, naming his brothers as successor trustees, and had prohibited Sheel from becoming a trustee. According to the Trust, Sheel had agreed in 2020 that she had no right to designate the team’s control person.
The Trust did not specifically address Sheel’s allegations that Matt Seidler could potentially pursue selling or relocating the Padres, though sources within the league consider such a move unlikely.
The situation centers around Peter Seidler’s leadership of the Padres, a position he took after Ron Fowler in 2020. Under Peter’s ownership, the Padres significantly increased their payroll, becoming one of the top-spending teams and reaching the postseason in three of the past five years. However, financial challenges, including a debt service ratio issue, led to a potential payroll crunch just months before Peter’s death.
Following Peter’s passing, an interim control person was appointed, but recent reports indicate that Peter’s brother, John Seidler, is set to take over as the Padres’ control person, pending approval from Major League Baseball. However, Sheel’s lawsuit claims that Matt and Bob Seidler breached their fiduciary duties, allegedly conspiring to buy trust assets at “far-below-market prices” to consolidate control of the Padres. Sheel also accuses the brothers of racial and sexist motivations for keeping control from her, claiming that Bob’s wife made offensive remarks directed at her, a woman of Indian descent. She argues that Peter had intended for the team to eventually be passed to their children, with Sheel temporarily overseeing the franchise.
The lawsuit seeks damages, the removal of Matt as trustee, and to void actions related to the Padres’ control. Sheel has expressed her desire to continue Peter’s legacy by ensuring the team remains under the family’s ownership, and ultimately, passed down to their children.
Sheel stated that filing the lawsuit was a last resort after exhausting all other options to resolve the matter privately. She emphasized her focus on protecting the Padres’ future and ensuring that the vision Peter and she shared for the team is upheld. The legal battle mirrors previous disputes in other sports franchises, such as the sale of the Baltimore Orioles following a family conflict.
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