Despite multiple ownership changes and shifts in control of the franchise, the San Diego Padres have yet to win the World Series in the last three decades. But their latest change involving $3.9 billion comes with a simple message: the club is no longer looking at winning as a distant ambition. The new owner duo, Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano, have made their priorities clear.
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“We need each other. And that’s what Jose and I, together, have built a life on, understanding that it is together,” Jones said in a recent press conference, as per Talking Friars. “And when we are all in, and you all heard the song as we walked in, we are all in. It’s not lip service.”
The Padres’ ownership transition was completed on Monday after the owners from the 29 MLB teams unanimously approved the sale. Feliciano and Jones took control of the franchise that now has a valuation of $3.9 billion. It broke the previous MLB record of the New York Mets’ $2.4 billion purchase in 2020. But the new owners did not attend the press conference to mention how big a purchase they had made. Instead, they wanted the baseball world to know what exactly they were here for.
“We need to win the World Series. It’s that simple,” Feliciano mentioned in his statement after the completion of the transition process.
But this wasn’t a mere introduction to a lengthy and vague commitment. The duo vowed to spend “ambitiously” yet “judiciously”, keeping the long-term health of the organization in mind.
The Padres are currently second in the NL West with a 71-60 record. They have been on a roll in August with a 15-6 record. They are firmly in the playoff race. And their $220 million payroll includes stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Mason Miller, among others. The roster is competitive enough, and it has been so in the past as well. Yet San Diego is looking to win their first World Series.
And that’s exactly what the owners are prioritizing. Hence, Jones said:
“We are absolutely committed to this organization, and we are absolutely overjoyed. And we understand, if you heard it, we’re going to win. We’re going to win. We’re going to win! Win it all! We hope it’s sooner rather than later.”
But she also emphasized another huge aspect: “No one succeeds alone.”
She mentioned how important it is to work together. And it wasn’t just about the players. Jones acknowledged that the overall success the Padres have achieved so far goes to everybody. That includes the leadership, the baseball operations, the players and coaches, the fans, the community, and basically everyone connected to the franchise. Jones urged that all stakeholders, including the media, work together to fulfill that dream.
While that energy and confidence boost are good enough for the entire community to fire up, the Seidler family offered a final gesture before their departure. The former ownership announced that every part-time and full-time employee would receive a bonus, with the ownership group contributing to a pool.
The way the former and new owners are actively pushing the community toward something better, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the baseball team continue their dominance on the field in October.