Pending Team Sale: Padres spirit in the dugout and among the fans remain strong

The last time I checked in with you guys in December, the San Diego Padres were still licking their wounds after an early Wild Card exit, faced the loss of several players through free agency, and the certainty that the franchise would soon be sold. Then the World Baseball Classic took place, with Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr playing for the Dominican Republic and Mason Miller closing out games for Team USA. Yet, rookie manager Craig Stammen, second in command Ruben Niebla, and a solid group of veteran players and experienced youngsters are void of any distractions. This club has become accustomed to winning, and understand that they can only accomplish things that are within their control.

While it took Stammen three games to get his first MLB win as the skipper, his Friars fought hard in the opening 2026 series against the Detroit Tigers. And all three battles were played before sellout crowds approaching 55,000 at Petco Park. Last season, the club drew 3.4 million patrons, second to the Los Angeles Dodgers in all of baseball.

“The atmosphere here is always electric,” noted Ramon Lauriano, the Padres left fielder who is red hot out of the gate, but injured throughout last year’s post season. ‘It’s so much fun playing here, and with (Stammen), there’s no pressure.”

The free agency exit wasn’t as bad as originally projected. While the Padres lost its ace Dylan Cease to the Toronto Blue Jays, they were able to retain the often injured Michael King, an important cog in the pitching rotation. Plus, locking in Miller in the pen will easily replace Robert Suarez. It was a surprise when the team put Yu Darvish on the restricted list, who was not expected to pitch this season due to elbow surgery. The move would free up some money that could enable GM A.J. Preller to pick up another starting pitcher, which would become more urgent when Joe Musgrove suffered a setback in his rehab this spring.

There have been several groups interested in purchasing the Padres, still a small market franchise geographically, but highly lucrative in local revenue for numerous reasons. John Seidler, who inherited control of the team after the death of his younger brother Peter, has made it known that he intends to sell the club to the highest bidder, as long as the new owners pledge to keep the club in San Diego moving forward. It has been predicted that the Padres sale could be in the neighborhood of $3.5 billion, which would be considerably higher than the price Steve Cohen paid to buy the New York Mets in America’s largest media market. The most interesting offer thus far is led by former San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints quarterback Dree Brees. However, rumors have it that they aren’t even among the top four groups being considered. I don’t have a crystal ball as to when Seidler might pull the trigger and accept a final offer. But my guess is that it will happen sooner than later, especially with a possible work stoppage looming at the conclusion of the current season.

Meanwhile, the Padres are off to a slow start in 2026, losing the series openers at home against the Tigers and San Francisco Giants, who were swept at Oracle Park in their debut against the New York Yankees. Everyone knew that the pitching rotation would be a concern, especially with Musgrove’s return uncertain. Additionally, the staff’s fourth and fifth starters, Walker Buehler and German Marquez, were hit hard in their attempt to regain prior success. That said, the Friars have been equally weak on offense, and continue to be less than productive with runners in scoring position, something that plagued them in last year’s post season. Stammen and Niebla were allowed to bring in a new coaching staff, and although working on a tight budget, Preller brought in Nick Castellanos, Miguel Andujar and Ty France to add some additional pop to the lineup. Not bad, although all three swing from the right side of the plate.

My take on this team is sketchy at best. But with an attack that includes Machado, Tatis Jr, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, Laureano and Castellanos, the obvious talent can’t be overlooked. The Padres will hit and score runs in bunches. The bullpen is probably the best in baseball, and the outfield defense of Laureano, Merrill and Tatis Jr is crazy good. Like every other contending club in the mix, the starting pitchers will dictate the ultimate success or failure. Every player on this Padres squad understands that scenario, and that is the focus. The team sale is nobody’s concern.

The post Pending Team Sale: Padres spirit in the dugout and among the fans remain strong first appeared on Through The Fence Baseball.