Talking Padres Ownership With Jeff Sanders

Jeff Sanders was nice enough to take some time out of his insanely busy schedule to answer some Padres ownership related questions for Chicken Friars readers. Jeff covers the Padres for the North County Times. Check him out on Twitter @NCTPadres and online at NCTimes.com

1. Do you see the O’Malley ownership group getting approved by Major League Baseball?

I do think the O’Malley group will get approval from Major League Baseball. They’ve already got a great track record in the game and Commissioner Bud Selig already gave the group his “unofficial” stamp of approval during a recent conference call with reporters. I think all we’re waiting for is for the details to be hammered out, which can very a grueling, give-and-take process.

2. Since the O’Malley family used to own the Dodgers, do you think the Padres-Dodgers rivalry will be much more intense?

I don’t see it amping up the rivalry much. If anything, it’s going to be a fun fact down the road.

3. After  Magic Johnson became the owner of the Dodgers, many Padres fans wanted to counter with a big named celebrity owner. Is golfer Phil Mickelson (who is part of the O’Malley ownership group) a name that Padre fans can be happy with?

I would think Phil Mickelson is a name San Diego fans can be happy with, though I can’t be sure what his level of involvement will be.

4.  Do you see  the O’Malleys owning  the team before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline?

The story there seems to change daily. When I first jumped on the beat, it seemed like a sale might happen any day. I don’t get the sense that we’ll get much official news before the August owners meeting. I do wonder how that’s going to affect how the Padres handle players like Quentin and Street.

5. How much are the O’Malleys rumored to buy the Padres for?

The number I’m hearing on the sale is $800 million, which includes $200 million from the team’s TV deal with Fox Sports San Diego.

We would like to Thank Jeff Sanders for agreeing to do this interview.