Padres’ Joe Musgrove sends strong warning shot to next owner

The Seidler family's decision to put the San Diego Padres up for sale hangs over the franchise like a dark cloud right now, especially as the team navigates budget constraints and 2027 lockout fears to field a competitive team next season.

There are a lot of complicated moving parts, including loans and intra-family legal battles, that could delay any prospective buyer from sealing the deal. The Padres have been valued around $2 billion by Forbes, though their glut of huge veteran contracts could push said valuation down (or, alternatively, their competitive window could increase it).

Regardless of who emerges as the top finalist, though, longtime Padres ace Joe Musgrove has a clear message for them: Nothing matters more than winning.

Joe Musgrove urges Padres' next owner to prioritize winning over profit

"I think someone that has a desire to win is the most important thing," the right-hander said when discussing what he's hoping for in a new owner. "I've been around teams where it's more of a money-making business than it is a pride and wanting to win thing. I think the tone that Peter [Seidler] set here is something that's kind of hard to move on from."

Musgrove's touching nod to the late Peter Seidler is a testament to what the former controlling owner of the Padres always prioritized: winning and good ballplayers.

It's hard to imagine how many other owners would have given A.J. Preller the green light to commit to so many blockbuster trades and signings over the last decade and change, and it could be a rude wake-up call for the front office and Padres fans alike if a new owner demands more frugality and conservative maneuvering with the roster.

Hopefully Musgrove gets his wish, especially since he and Nick Pivetta are in need of some serious reinforcements at the top of the Padres' rotation.

Musgrove himself is returning from a Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the entire 2025 campaign, and he hasn't tossed even 100 innings in a single season since 2022. He was elite prior to this string of injuries -- he recorded a 3.05 ERA, 3.62 FIP, 25.6% strikeout rate, and 6.2% walk rate from 2021-23 -- so if he's healthy and the team manages his workload, he could be a huge X-factor in the team's 2026 plans.

Still, he alone can't get this team over the hump. If the Seidlers do sell at some point this offseason, hopefully they'll prioritize another owner dedicated to getting Musgrove and his compatriots the first championship trophy in franchise history.