Padres Are the Fourth Most Valuable Team in the NL West

According to Forbes, the Padres ranked 20th most valuable in all of baseball. They ranked fourth most valuable in the National League West. With a value of $458 million placed on them by Forbes, the Padres ranked behind the Dodger, the Giants, and the Rockies. They were slightly more valuable than the Diamondbacks.

The ranking and value will surely stir up quite a bit of debate. It does every year. Forbes makes a best guess on their value estimations. Teams generally try to downplay it. The Padres ranked 11th in all of baseball with an operating income of $23.2 million.

The problem with these values, and these incomes, is that it always leads to a debate about why the team isn’t better. Why doesn’t ownership spend more to put a better product on the field? Why are the Padres always fighting to stay out of the cellar? The answers are far more complicated than the calculations made by Forbes.

According to Bill Center of the San Diego Union Tribune,

"The valuation represents a 13 percent increase over 2010, although the Padres slipped two spots in the rankings from 18th last year."

Regardless of the team’s value, the Padres still have ownership issues to work through before their rebuilding plan can fully take shape. Jeff Moorad’s struggles in buying the club have been well-documented. John Moores has little to no money to sink into the team. The value of the club means nothing until ownership is solidified.

For now though, Padres fans can celebrate the fact that their club is tore valuable than the defending National League West Champions. Or they can question where the money goes. No matter what, the news of the team-by-team rankings will bring up quite a bit of debate.