San Diego Padres Set To Make History With Sale To Kwanza Jones And José E. Feliciano

The deal could make Kwanza Jones the first Black woman majority owner in MLB history.

The San Diego Padres are entering a new era. The franchise announced that the Seidler family has agreed to transfer control of the team to an ownership group led by investor and philanthropist Kwanza Jones and private equity executive José E. Feliciano, pending approval from Major League Baseball, according to MLB.com.

The reported sale price is approximately $3.9 billion, a figure that would shatter the previous record for an MLB franchise sale, NBC 7 San Diego reports.

In a joint statement, Jones and Feliciano said the acquisition is about more than baseball.

“The Padres are more than a baseball team; they are a unifying force in San Diego,” the duo said, adding that they are committed to “bringing a World Series championship to San Diego.”

The historic deal arrives nearly three years after the death of former Padres owner Peter Seidler, who helped transform the franchise into a National League contender through aggressive spending and high-profile player acquisitions. His brother, John Seidler, has served as chairman and control person since 2025.

Jones’ potential ownership stake carries major cultural significance across professional sports. According to Andscape, the deal would, if approved, make her the first Black woman in MLB history to hold a majority ownership stake in a franchise.

Meanwhile, Feliciano — co-founder of Clearlake Capital — would become one of the few Latino majority owners in Major League Baseball. The billionaire investor already has ties to global sports ownership through Chelsea Football Club.

The Padres were purchased by the Seidler-led ownership group in 2012 for $800 million. Since then, the franchise has grown into one of baseball’s most valuable organizations while building a passionate fan base in San Diego.