Succession-like ownership war may allow SF Giants to leapfrog Padres in NL West

SF Giants fans dissatisfied with the team's offseason need only look to the San Diego Padres to feel better about things. Due to a messy family battle amongst the team's owners, the Padres have been largely stagnant this offseason.

Basically, after former Padres owner Peter Seidler passed away in November of 2023, a legal battle between Seidler's widow, Sheel Seidler, and Peter Seidler's brothers over primary ownership of the team has ensued.

San Diego's ownership drama could help SF Giants eclipse Padres

The legal battle is set to hinge upon witness testimony so it can be determined who played more of a primary role in ownership duties and what the wishes of Peter Seidler were before he passed away. It seems like a very messy, sad situation that has largely left the Padres in a state of limbo this offseason while also somewhat mirroring the popular HBO series Succession with a family fighting over who will be the successor.

San Diego has not made any trades or signed any free agents which is a bit of a departure from their typical aggressive approach under general manager A.J. Preller. The Padres won 93 games last season and made the playoffs, winning their Wild Card series before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS in five games, a series in which the Padres had Los Angeles on the ropes before blowing it.

After coming so close to making the NLCS, one would have expected them to be more aggressive this offseason. Yet, they are reportedly trying to cut payroll just like the Giants. They want to come in under the Competitive Balance Tax which is something the Giants look to be trying to do as well.

The Padres still have a very good roster, though. They still have great players like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Yu Darvish, and Michael King. On paper they are still a more talented team than the Giants going into 2025. However, this protracted legal battle could impact San Diego going forward. There are already rumblings that the battle could be impacting the team's pursuit of top international prospect Roki Sasaki who may not want to enter an unstable situation. It could also impact potential extensions for players like King or Merrill.

That could mean that over time the Giants could leapfrog the Padres in the NL West if these ownership issues impact the product on the field. The NL West is crowded right now with the Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Los Angeles Dodgers all ahead of the Giants on paper. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks have both improved this offseason, but the same cannot be said for San Diego.

By signing Willy Adames and Justin Verlander, the Giants have probably not eclipsed San Diego but they have gained ground on them from a talent standpoint. It may take baby steps for the Giants to become relevant in their own division, and the current ownership strife in San Diego could provide an opening for the Giants to overtake the Padres in the NL West in due time.