San Diego Padres Complete coverage of the Friars San Diego Padres MLB owners approve San Diego Padres sale to group led by Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones New owners expected to take over by the end of the week By Derek Togerson • Published August 17, 2026 • Updated on August 18, 2026 at 3:32 pm BOOKMARKER PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY – MAY 05: Kwanza Jones, SUPERCHARGED by Kwanza Jones Founder and CEO, and CEO and Co-Founder of Jones Feliciano Initiative and José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Clearlake Capital, and CEO and Co-Founder of Jones Feliciano Initiative attend the Dedication of Kwanza Jones Hall & José E. Feliciano Hall at Princeton University on May 05, 2023 in Princeton, New Jersey. (Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for the Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative) It took a couple of months longer than expected but Major League Baseball owners overwhelmingly voted on Monday to approve the MLB record $3.9 billion sale of the San Diego Padres to a new ownership group led by Jose E. Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones, clearing the way for them to take over operational control by the end of the week. Feliciano, co-founder of private equity firm Clearlake Capital, and Jones won a bidding war over three other finalists in April for the right to but the team from the Seidler family, who in 2012 led a group to purchase the Padres for $800 million. Stream San Diego News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC 7. WATCH HERE Since then they've been working to finalize their full ownership hierarchy while undergoing a vetting process by an eight-member committee of current league owners. That collection recently signed off on the sale and sent it along for a formal vote to the other 29 owners, who unanimously approved it. Jones is breaking MLB color and gender barriers as the first Black majority owner in MLB history and the first Black woman to be an MLB majority owner. The move was historic and impactful to members of the Black San Diego community, like Dr. Ashanti Hands, President of San Diego Mesa College. "When a Black woman enters a space where we haven’t seen ourselves before, our picture of who belongs gets bigger and that’s something that is so exciting because once you see it, you cannot unsee it, the ceiling is literally shifting," Hands said. Feliciano, who was born in Puerto Rico, becomes the second Latino principal owner in baseball, along with the Los Angeles Angels' Arte Moreno. Latino and Hispanic players comprise roughly 30% of major league rosters. Until his passing from an infection in 2023, Peter Seidler poured money into the organization, turning it into a perennial playoff contender for the first time in its history. Feliciano and Jones immediately pledged to continue building on Peter’s legacy. Local Military 2 hours ago UCSD granted $11.3M to develop ‘smart' blood cells to improve military San Diego 10 hours ago Mosque shooter's parents sue mental health organization after Islamic Center killings “We are a family first, and becoming owners of the San Diego Padres means joining an even larger one,” said Jones and Feliciano in a statement. “We are grateful to the Seidler family, and especially to Peter, for raising the expectations of what this franchise can achieve. We have built our life and our work together, and we will bring that same shared purpose, commitment, and determination to our stewardship of the Padres. It is a source of immense pride and an extraordinary opportunity to become part of a team, a tradition, and the San Diego community that has supported it so faithfully." During the sales process there were fears the Padres could be sold to a group that would consider moving the franchise away from San Diego. That does not seem to be in the plans for the new owners. “Our ambition is clear: to bring a World Series championship to San Diego and build an enduring organization capable of competing for championships year after year," said Jones and Feliciano in a statement. "We intend to be engaged owners, bringing our energy, experience, and perspective while working alongside the talented team already in place and investing ambitiously and thoughtfully in the Padres’ future. That means pursuing excellence and innovation throughout the organization, delivering a first-class experience at Petco Park, deepening the bond with the faithful fans, and making a positive impact across the San Diego community. We are all in and committed to winning.” For the time being the franchise will continue to be led by CEO Erik Greupner and President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller, who both recently signed contract extensions. Since a 30% ownership stake in Petco Park is also included in the deal it must be approved by the City of San Diego, a process that's expected to be procedural, allowing the deal to be closed by the end of the week. The organization has scheduled a formal press conference on Monday, August 24 at 1:00 p.m. at Petco Park to officially introduce the new owners to the Friar Faithful. This article tagged under: San Diego Padres MLB Padres Baseball Petco Park on now 9AM: NBC7 News Today Trending Stories San Diego weather San Diego releases water from full Lake Hodges dam SDG&E Millions of San Diegans got this SDG&E notice Tuesday. 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