PEORIA, Ariz. -- Around this time every spring -- shortly after the Padres' full squad had reported to Spring Training -- owner Peter Seidler would address the team and the media from the Peoria Sports Complex.
Seidler's exact wording would change. But the message was always the same. Ever the optimist, Seidler spoke of “baseball gods smiling on San Diego” and his grand visions for a World Series parade.
Months after Seidler's passing, it was Eric Kutsenda, the team's interim control person, who addressed the media at the start of camp on Saturday morning. It marked the first time Kutsenda has spoken publicly since he assumed the role in November, and he made it clear the goal hasn't changed.
"Peter was pretty candid with the expectations he set for this organization," said Kutsenda, Seidler's long-time friend and business partner. "That's the sort of vision and path that we're carrying forward."
The Padres, of course, have spent the offseason overhauling their roster following a disappointing 2023 season. They dealt Juan Soto to the Yankees and have revamped their pitching staff. They've also seen payroll dip well below last year's total.
Kutsenda noted that there's still flexibility for the Padres to fill out their roster in the coming weeks. Some of the decisions they've made already this offseason, like the Soto trade, have afforded them room to maneuver.
"There's flexibility," Kutsenda said. "We don't get into specific payroll numbers as you guys know. But we're working every day on different enhancements to the roster as well as trades, free-agent stuff. The roster is still in progress."
Kutsenda was asked specifically if he had set a target of staying below the Competitive Balance Tax threshold. He cited the fluid nature of free-agent and trade talks, summing his answer up by saying, "We'll see."
San Diego still has needs in the outfield, rotation and bench. But, as Kutsenda noted, amid a slower-moving market, there are options available.
"We went into the year with the view of assembling talent and balance for the team," Kutsenda said. "Payroll is an output of that. As [general manager A.J. Preller] has described, we're not necessarily done. It's been kind of an odd free-agent-market evolution this year. We're marching toward building the talent pool that we think can win this year."
As for the status of Padres ownership, Kutsenda is currently the control person. But he noted that the long-term plan is the same plan Seidler had often expressed.
“In terms of ownership, there’s no expectation of a change,” Kutsenda said. “We stated that early on. Peter described a long time ago that he expected the team to be in the Seidler family for generations. That is certainly our expectation.”
Kutsenda, Seidler’s business partner in the private investment firm Seidler Equity Partners, has been a minority owner with the club for years, working alongside Seidler. He took on a more involved role late in the 2023 season when Seidler stepped away from the team due to his health.
“Peter and I worked together for almost 30 years,” Kutsenda said. “More than that, we were friends for 30 years. I’ve been involved with the team as a minority owner and ‘helper,’ I would say, in the background. So I have some continuity with the ballclub for a long time. That accelerated last year as Peter was working through some of his health challenges.
“Look, any transition like this is work. The good news is, we’ve had a lot of stability with [CEO] Erik Greupner, with A.J. Preller, with their staffs and leadership team. My role is making sure that we’re headed in the right direction. The good news is: Peter set that direction for more than a decade.”