SF Giants may have to contend with Bay Area billionaire if he buys Padres

With the owners San Diego Padres looking to sell the team, there has been some speculation that Bay Area billionaire Joe Lacob could make a push to buy the team which would be a nightmare for the SF Giants.

Lacob is the owner of the Golden State Warriors of the NBA and the Golden State Valkyries of the WNBA. He has reportedly had interest in owning a MLB team in the past so it makes sense that his name has been thrown out as a possibility in San Diego, but for the sake of the Giants let's hope he sticks to basketball.

SF Giants would be in trouble if Joe Lacob bought the Padres

While Giants fans have had to deal with an ownership group that seems reluctant to spend whatever it takes to win a title, Lacob is that rare owner who wants a championship above all else while the Giants' ownership group seems more concerned about breaking even.

Lacob bought the Warriors back in 2010 and definitely deserves credit for helping the team achieve its dynasty that saw the franchise win four NBA titles after decades of being an underachieving organization.

If he purchased the Padres, it is tough to see how the Giants would have any hope of keeping up with both San Diego and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. The Giants can only make the argument that they are the third-best team in their own division right now and it would become much more difficult to even reach No. 2 if Lacob took over in San Diego.

It remains to be seen if that will happen, though. For the short-term, the Giants may benefit from the change in ownership with the Padres because it may make the franchise less likely to spend big with there being so much uncertainty.

The Padres have already seen starting pitcher Dylan Cease sign with the Toronto Blue Jays on a seven-year, $210 million deal and they may lose another starter in Michael King. The depletion to their rotation may give the Giants a great opportunity in the NL West for the time being.

But in the long term, if the Padres do end up getting an owner who is aggressive and wants to win like Lacob then the Giants could be in trouble unless they have an ownership shakeup of their own.

While spending does not always lead to winning, one cannot help but look at what the Dodgers have done the last two seasons and realize that spending big can give a team a distinct advantage.