Padres' Manny Machado hails expected $3.9 billion sale: 'It kind of tells you everything'

AL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksPower RankingsFans Speak UpTop ProspectsAnalysisPadres’ Manny Machado hails expected $3.9 billion sale: ‘It kind of tells you everything’Manny Machado joined the Padres in 2019 and has since earned three All-Star nominations. Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images Share article1ANAHEIM, Calif. — Soon after learning the San Diego Padres would be sold for a record-smashing price, the player whose arrival ushered in the team’s boldest era hailed the anticipated ownership of José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones. “I don’t want to hear anybody talk about us being a small market no more,” third baseman Manny Machado said Friday. In 2019, a traditionally sleepy franchise signed Machado to a 10-year, $300 million contract, then the largest deal in the history of North American professional sports. Seven years later, after repeated aggressive investments by late owner Peter Seidler, a group led by Feliciano and Jones — a husband-wife duo based in Los Angeles — has agreed to purchase the Padres at a $3.9 billion valuation. It’s a nearly fivefold increase from when Seidler and Ron Fowler bought the club in 2012. Pending the expected approval of MLB owners, it will also be the sixth-highest sale price in North American sports history. “I think they kind of want to follow Peter’s legacy,” Machado said. “If you’re bidding that high, it kind of tells you everything about what you want for the organization.” Since Seidler’s death, the Padres have gone from fielding a $256 million roster to curbing their spending. Their payroll still puts them among the league’s top 10 teams, but that owes largely to the various nine-figure contracts Seidler handed out, including the 11-year, $350 million extension he awarded in 2023 to Machado. So, it was with particular interest that Machado monitored a sale process that drew several billionaire suitors and ultimately produced a bidding frenzy. Machado did not meet Feliciano and Jones when they and three other finalist groups toured the Padres’ spring training complex last month, but the infielder revealed before Friday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels that he “briefly did have a few phone calls” with the now-incoming owners. Feliciano and Jones are set to become MLB’s first Puerto Rican and African American majority owners, respectively. The plan is for Feliciano, a private equity investor and co-owner of English Premier League club Chelsea, to become just the league’s second Latino controlling owner, joining the Los Angeles Angels’ Arte Moreno. “That’s huge,” said Machado, who captained the Dominican Republic in the recent World Baseball Classic. “I know he’s going to bring a lot of great things to the organization and to the city itself. And his wife as well. I think they’re going to be very great for the city of San Diego.” Still, only time will tell on Feliciano and Jones’ post-sale level of investment. League sources said Feliciano’s private equity firm, Clearlake Capital, is not involved in a transaction that could become official within weeks. His estimated net worth, according to Forbes, is the same as the expected sale price. “It’s a pretty healthy number. A really healthy number,” said right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., who received a 14-year, $340 million extension from Seidler. “Obviously, it’s a little bit sad because everybody knew what Peter built over here, and we all know that (selling the team) was definitely not his goal long-term. But this world works at a different pace, so we just got to get used to it. “We just got to wait and see, and see the mentality (Feliciano and Jones) bring.” Multiple players said Friday’s news brought both closure and anticipation. It has been more than two years since Seidler died, prompting people throughout the sport to predict an eventual sale. Now, ahead of a pivotal labor fight, the previously small-market Padres find themselves the talk of the sport. “You see there’s owners that want to win and want to put a great product on the field because they’ve seen the benefits of it,” said second baseman Jake Cronenworth, a member of the Players Association’s executive subcommittee. “I think today is a perfect example of what the benefit is.” Machado said he was looking forward to meeting Feliciano and Jones in person. “It’s just the same thing as when I signed here (seven) years ago and built relationships with Ron, built relationships with Peter,” Machado said. “Just looking forward to a long relationship and what’s best for the ballclub … and how can we get to where we want to get to, which is to bring a championship to the city of San Diego. And that’s a big stepping stone, 3.9 billion. So yeah, I’m excited.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Dennis Lin is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the San Diego Padres. He previously covered the Padres for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He is a graduate of USC. Follow Dennis on Twitter @dennistlin