The Big Lead

Brother of late Padres owner: relocation not in plans

By J.P. Hoornstra

Oct 15, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler celebrates defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park.
Oct 15, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler celebrates defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images
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A lawsuit filed by the widow of late Padres owner Peter Seidler seeking control of the franchise alleged that Seidler's brother might be interested in relocating the team out of San Diego.

Not true, Seidler's brother Matt said in an open letter to Padres fans Tuesday.

Sheel Seidler’s lawsuit, filed in Texas court Monday, claims that “Matt’s efforts to promote his brother John as Control Person and to block Sheel may well be part of his efforts to sell, and perhaps relocate, the team, over Sheel’s strident objections.”

Sheel Seidler also alleged in court documents filed Monday that Seidler's brothers, Bob and Matt, have "irreconcilable conflicts of interest" and conspired to sell trust assets to themselves at "far-below-market prices" as they "schemed to solidify their control of the Padres."

The Peter Seidler Trust, in a statement provided to The Big Lead, responded by saying "The complaint filed by Sheel Seidler, the widow of Peter Seidler, is entirely without merit. 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."

Peter Seidler died in Nov. 2023. His brother, John, was selected as club control person in December pending MLB approval.

As part of the lawsuit, Sheel Seidler (who is of Indian descent) alleges Bob Seidler's wife sent "multiple racist, profane, and hateful communications" targeting her. In his open letter, Matt Seidler acknowledges this truth. "This individual faces difficult personal health challenges and, most importantly ... the hurtful language does not at all reflect the thoughts or feelings of any other family member," he writes.

Matt Seidler writes that the lawsuit caught him by surprise.

"When Peter became Control Person, Sheel signed a sworn document in which she acknowledged that she had no right to be or to designate the Control Person, and agreed that if Peter passed away she would not seek any order in any legal proceeding that would in any way restrain the control of the Club or the duties of the designated Control Person," he said in the letter.

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