The Los Angeles Dodgers had their biggest division rival, the San Diego Padres, sell for $3.9 billion — a record sale price for an MLB franchise.
The Padres have been shopped around for quite some time before they were sold, but the team eventually found a buyer in private-equity billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones, according to various reports.
San Diego had been owned by the Seidler family since 2012, but the death of longtime owner Peter Seidler sparked a family fight for control of the franchise, and eventually, they announced they were exploring a sale.
After a long process, Feliciano and Jones are set to become the owners, surpassing the previous record for an MLB franchise sale, $2.4 billion in 2020, set by Mets owner Steve Cohen.
Aug 23, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) celebrates after he hit an RBI double as Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) looks on during the eighth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
While the Dodgers are owned by the financial powerhouse Guggenheim and operate at an elite level as an ownership group, the Padres’ sale does have downstream effects that will alter the picture for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers’ value goes up
Whenever a record price is broken in sports, the value of every other team in the league rises as a new benchmark is set.
The increases in value vary by franchise, depending on market size, location, fan loyalty, and team status.
The Dodgers are the top of baseball in all of those factors, offering the history and present-day success that make them such a valuable team.
Guggenheim bought the Dodgers for $2 billion, which included the team and stadium, back in 2012.
Now, only back in March, Sportico valued the Dodgers at $9 billion, while the Padres were valued at $3.1 billion.
Considering that the Padres sold for $800,000 more than the estimate, the Dodgers should be worth more than $10 billion, especially since they have an ever-growing sponsorship profile.
The Padres could push the Dodgers in terms of spending
San Diego rose from a bottom-feeder team to a consistent threat to win the National League West, really falling victim only to the Dodgers over the past 10 years, aside from a few exceptions.
Through aggressive moves and a growing payroll, the Padres have grown into a contender in the National League West.
However, Peter Seigel’s death limited their spending capacity, but under a new owner, they could open the wallet again to really push for high-caliber talent in free agency.
If the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement were still in place long-term, this could be quite feasible for the new owners, but there is widespread speculation that a salary cap and floor could be implemented, limiting the new owners’ ability to really challenge the Dodgers’ spending.
Even if spending limitations are put in place in MLB, the Padres’ new owners will be looking to shed the “little brother” status and aim to be on par with the Dodgers, but there is a massive gap for them to bridge.
LA Baseball Report
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