Sheel Kamal Seidler, the widow of former San Diego Padres chair and majority owner Peter Seidler, has sued two of the late executive’s brothers for control of the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise.
A group including Peter Seidler, his uncle Peter O’Malley, and businessman Ron Fowler, first purchased the Padres in 2012, and Seidler himself became majority owner and chair in 2020 when he bought out part of Fowler’s stake.
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Since his passing in 2023, Peter Seidler’s trust and estate has been managed by his brothers Robert (November 2023-May 2024) and then Matthew (May 2024 onwards).
Now Sheel Kamal Seidler has sued Robert and Matthew Seidler for control of the team, alleging that the brother had sidelined her and her and Peter’s three children from the franchise.
Furthermore the suit, lodged in the probate court of Travis County, Texas, accuses the brothers of “fiduciary breaches of trust, fraud, conversion, and egregious acts of self dealing,” suggesting that they had sold assets from the trust to themselves and had utilize trust funds for personal payments.
Sheel claims that Robert and Matthew had “ostracized” her family from the team, making them unwelcome at team events for example, and in the suit also accuses Robert’s wife Alecia Seidler of racism.
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By GlobalDataThe ultimate crux of the case comes down to the role of “control person”, an MLB role that designates a single person with final control over each franchise and one that Peter held at the Padres until his passing.
In an open letter released in tandem with the legal filing, Sheel, a licensed attorney in the state of California, stated that Peter Seidler’s last wish was for her to take over as control person, adding that his brothers had instead sought to prevent her from taking that role.
She added that she does not wish to make the litigation “public."
A spokesperson for the Seidler trust responded to the suit, calling it “entirely without merit” and adding: “In 2020, in connection with Peter's appointment as control person, Sheel agreed in a sworn document that she had no right to be or to designate the Control Person and that she would not interfere with the designated Control Person.
“She also stated in May 2024 that John Seidler, Peter's eldest brother, would be the best Control Person for the Padres. The Padres have already filed an application to Major League Baseball to appoint John."
The upcoming MLB owners meeting, set for February, 2025, could see John Seidler’s approval, as three quarters of MLB owners are required to vote in favor of approval in the role.
Sheel and her three children are still the largest single shareholders in the team, holding around 25% of it, above the 15% stake required to be a control person.
Peter Seidler’s time as Padres owner saw the team become amongst the highest spending in MLB as he sought a first World Series title for the team, though in the season since his passing the team’s payroll has decreased markedly under the stewardship of his brothers.
The lawsuit stated that over that period Sheel and Peter had discussed Padres operations together, making Sheel appropriately equipped to enter the role of control person.
The 2024 MLB season saw the Padres make it to the post-season playoffs before being eliminated by eventual World Series winners, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
