Sheel Seidler Blames Peter's Brothers For Padres Losing Out on Roki Sasaki

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jan 31, 2025

Jan 22, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) speaks during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

When Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki narrowed his choices to three, the San Diego Padres truly thought they had a chance in signing the prized free agent of the offseason.

But when Sasaki opted for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he cited the stability of the front office as his No. 1 reason.

Now, Sheel Seidler is blaming Matt and Robert Seidler for the Padres losing out on signing Sasaki.

“Matt and Robert Seidler must be relieved to have an easy scapegoat for their failure to sign Roki Sasaki,” Dane Butswinkas, Sheel Seidler's counsel, said in a statement. “The outcome could have been different if they hadn’t blocked Sheel from participating in the recruitment process, despite her many pleas to put aside any differences and help do what’s best for the Padres.”

Sheel also accused her brothers-in-law of wanting to relocate the organization in the days leading up to meeting with Sasaki.

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“During a crucial time when Padres management was in late negotiation stages with a star pitcher, Sheel’s lawsuit recklessly suggested that Matt and his brothers were plotting to relocate the Padres elsewhere,” the filing read.

Sasaki and his agent Joel Wolfe were well aware of the drama in the San Diego front office before visiting but they wanted to give the team the benefit of the doubt before making any type of final decision.

“We knew it was an issue,” Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, said Tuesday to The Athletic when presented with Matt Seidler’s response. “The timing of it appeared oddly strategic, and I wanted to allow the Padres to deal with it first on their own terms rather than try to figure it out on our own, which they did.”

In his 25-page filing, Matt Seidler claimed that Sheel Seidler demanded $20 million in distributions in October, followed by similar annual payments. He also stated that since Peter Seidler’s passing, Sheel has received Peter’s $30 million Texas ranch and over $4.5 million in cash from trust distributions.

There is no telling when this ongoing dispute might end. As it continues, the San Diego Padres will continue to suffer.

Peter Seidler passed away in November 2023 due to an infection linked to a weakened immune system. Eric Kutsenda, a close friend and business partner, stepped in as the Padres' interim control person. MLB owners are set to vote next week on whether to approve John Seidler, a minority owner of the Padres, as the franchise's permanent control person.

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