SAN DIEGO (AP) — Padres majority owner Peter Seidler couldn’t make it any clearer.
He doesn’t think San Diego is a small market, but rather views it for what it is, the eighth-largest city in the United States. He’s certain the Padres can handle the three nine-figure contracts they’ve doled out in the last four years.
“We love this city,” Seidler told the AP after the announcement of a 14-year contract extension for star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. “We want to honor the support our extraordinary fans give us.
“In 1984 and 1998, this place went crazy. And those were real teams that went to the World Series. I know we have the city’s trust and the city trusts us. We’re going to put good teams out there. From a franchise standpoint, we’re going to get support and we’re going to back it up with our actions reflective of the eighth-largest city in America.”
Outsiders have questioned how the Padres will be able to afford the $340 million contract they gave to Tatis Jr. That deal comes on top of Manny Machado's $300 million deal and Eric Hosmer's $144 million contract.
