Padres could be getting sold to the highest bidder

Darrin Hall / Staff Writer / The USD Vista

The San Diego Padres baseball franchise could be for sale. After a dismal year for the Padres that includes owning one of the worst records in Major League Baseball, 49 percent of the franchise is up for sale.

However, the report has not been officially recognized by the Padres organization and the rumors are, “highly speculative,” said the Associated Press.

Rumors of the sale sparked from the divorce between major stockholder of the Padres John Moores and his wife, Becky Moores, who filed for divorce after 44 years of marriage to her husband.

“No decision regarding the Padres has been made, and the divorce proceedings are the subject of confidential mediation. Neither John nor the Padres will have any further comment on the report.” This statement was released by the Padres in response to the report coming from local news station NBC 7/39.

Moores made his success through computer software sales, and in 1994 he bought the majority share hold of the Padres for $80 million. NBC 7/39 also reported that the possible sale of the Padres has sparked interest with the Jacobs family, who were co-founders of the successful telecommunications company Qualcomm.

A spokesperson for Qualcomm has said that the matter is a personal one, and that the family had no comment on the issue.

Kevin Towers, the General Manager for the Padres, was also unavailable for comment, however he did state that there would be less money available to the Padres next year, resulting in a lower payroll for the team, which was at $75 million this year.

San Diegians could take the real hurt from this sale, as a potential owner could decide to move the organizatrion to another, more profitable city. Though this is unlikely, it is a possible scenario.

For Padres fans, these speculations may result in another dismal season next year. The Padres already have one of the lowest payrolls in the league, and this could mean that the Padres would not have enough money to keep their high-profile players such as Adrian Gonzalez and Jake Peavy.

Keep in mind that this information is still highly speculative, but usually stories like this would not surface without some truth behind them. Regardless, Padres fans must remain “friar faithful!”