Inside The Padres

Late Padres Owner Peter Seidler Never Would Have Traded Juan Soto, Says Scott Boras

Maren Angus-Coombs

David Frerker-USA TODAY Sports
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San Diego Padres late owner Peter Seidler died last Nov. 14 at the age of 63, but if he were still alive Juan Soto would most likely still be a Padre, according to his agent Scott Boras.

Instead of hitting home runs for the New York Yankees against the Padres at Petco Park on Friday night, he would be locked into a long-term contract in Southern California.

“Peter Seidler talked throughout his illness about Juan,’’ agent Scott Boras told USA Today late Friday night. “He kept saying, 'We’re going to sign him. We’re going to get that done. We know what he means to us.’

“From everything Peter said to me, there is no way he would have traded Juan Soto. I don’t think that was in his DNA. It was very personal to him.

“Peter talked to me about (Aaron) Judge, too, and how serious he was inquiring about him," Boras continued. "He was very secure in his thinking about the game. The only cost he worried about was building a statue for him.’’

For now, the counterfactual history is relegated to the realm of "what ifs." Seidler tragically succumbed to his long battle with cancer last November, and A.J. Preller dealt Soto to the Yankees in December. Since then, Soto has reminded the Padres what they are missing, leading New York to a 37-18 record, tops in the American League East.

The hot start has the Yankees on pace to go 110-52, their best record since 1998 — the year they swept the Padres in the World Series.

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Maren Angus-Coombs

MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite being raised in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer for the LA Sports Report Network.

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