PALM BEACH, Fla. — There is a new person in charge of the Padres.

Or there will be.

Major League Baseball owners voted Thursday to approve John Seidler as control person of the Padres.

Usually, such a vote involves a transfer of ownership. Thursday was essentially a handoff to the oldest brother of former Padres chairman Peter Seidler, who died in November 2023.

Officially, the transfer of power won’t occur until John Seidler is made the trustee of Peter Seidler’s trust. That paperwork is expected to take about 30 days.

Commissioner Rob Manfred called the issue of Seidler’s ascension to Padres control person “non-controversial.” The vote to approve was unanimous.

“We’re looking forward to continued stewardship of the Padres by a member of the Seidler family,” Manfred said.

John Seidler’s tenure will begin under the cloud of a lawsuit brought by Sheel Seidler. The wife of the late Padres chairman alleges that two other Seidler brothers, Matt and Robert, mishandled funds intended for Sheel Seidler in their roles as trustees of Peter Seidler’s trust.

The lawsuit asks for all moves made by the trustees to be reversed, including the one made in December, when Matt Seidler named John Seidler as control person.

Thursday’s approval was anticipated, and it seemed straightforward for the team owners considering it.

“His family holds the biggest portion of ownership in the team, and Peter’s ownership was left in a trust, and (John) now will be made the trustee,” Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick said after the vote. “Therefore, it’s automatic, really. … (John) is a good man, and of course, we all loved Peter. I think this is what Peter wanted.”

John Seidler, 65, has a home in San Diego and regularly attends Padres games. Multiple people said he was at Petco Park for upwards of 60 games in 2024. He has been a part of the Padres ownership since Peter Seidler and Ron Fowler headed a group that bought the team in 2012.

John Seidler was at the owners meetings but was not available for comment. The Padres cited concerns over the lawsuit and the pending nature of John Seidler’s appointment as reasons for his not speaking.

Manfred and others noted that the league was satisfied by the terms of Peter Seidler’s trust, which dictates that the trustee determines the team’s control person.

“The issue in that litigation that’s been filed is between Peter’s widow and the trustees of the trust (and) doesn’t really implicate baseball,” Manfred said. “We have an estate plan and succession plan that Peter filed, clear and written (regarding) what he intended, and we followed the process that is laid out in the plan. That is the trustee appointing a successor control person.”

Sheel Seidler’s lawyer issued a statement after the vote.

“This was merely a pro forma decision that we expected from MLB,” Dane Butswinkas said. “It was not a comment on the merits of Sheel’s lawsuit, which has just begun and which we believe will protect the team and Peter’s legacy for years to come.”

In addition to claiming that she was a partner with Peter Seidler in running the Padres and should be named control person, which Matt Seidler and others have disputed, the lawsuit contained an allegation that the Seidler brothers might be considering selling or relocating the team. Matt Seidler denied that in a letter to fans the day after Sheel Seidler’s lawsuit was filed on Jan. 6 and in his response to the lawsuit filed Jan. 27, and Manfred addressed the topic Thursday.

“My understanding is the family wants to keep the team,” he said.

Asked about the idea of relocation, Manfred seemed somewhat incredulous.

“There has not been a single word or a whisper about relocation in the context of the San Diego Padres,” Manfred said. “… San Diego is a great market with a great facility. That’s just not a realistic concern.”

Aside from the litigation and accompanying drama, John Seidler becoming control person is being widely painted as a continuation.

The Padres plan to have a payroll of around $200 million, which they believe will place them in the top 10 among MLB’s 30 teams.

Eric Kutsenda, a longtime friend and business partner of Peter Seidler and a minority owner in the Padres, will continue as the team’s control person until John Seidler takes over. Kutsenda, who took over as chairman days after Peter Seidler’s death, will then move to an advisory role.

But the club’s messaging is that the new boss is expected to be the same as the old boss.

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