The group that agreed to buy the San Diego Padres for a record $3.9 billion valuation has submitted the final documentation needed to move the pending sale to a vote, team and league officials who were granted anonymity to describe the sale process told The Athletic.That vote has not been scheduled but might take place in early August after Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, the people said. Before the sale becomes finalized, it must be approved by at least 22 of MLB’s 29 owners.Last week, more than two months after the Seidler family agreed to transfer ownership of the Padres to a group led by José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the league was still awaiting the buyers’ finalized investment commitments and the documentation required for a vote.The Athletic subsequently reported that Feliciano and Jones had finished putting together a proposed ownership structure. The league received the necessary documentation later in the week, league sources said Tuesday.Feliciano and Jones, a husband-wife duo, are expected to purchase between 40 and 45 percent of the franchise, with several other investors joining them at a smaller combined percentage. The proposed ownership group would also include longtime Padres minority owner Alfredo Harp Helú and incoming members Joey and Jesse Buss, the youngest sons of former Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss. Some members and associates of the Seidler family are expected to retain at least a portion of their stakes in the Padres.Despite a middling 49-51 record, the Padres entered Tuesday within 2 1/2 games of the National League’s final wild-card spot. Although the sale of the team is unlikely to close before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, club sources have said Feliciano and Jones have been in communication with Padres executives. According to people familiar with the team’s thinking, that dynamic could lead to some financial flexibility if San Diego opts to buy at the deadline, though it is unclear how much.The Padres’ anticipated franchise sale also comes at a crucial juncture for labor relations.As baseball braces for a potentially lengthy lockout after the 2026 season, the Players’ Association has brandished a record-setting price as an example of how committed spending can drive franchise values. A group led by Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler bought the Padres for $800 million in 2012. The current MLB sale record was set in 2020, when Steve Cohen purchased the New York Mets for $2.42 billion.Meanwhile, some ownership sources have cautioned against treating the Padres as a proxy for the market, pointing to such factors as the San Diego area’s affluence and the city’s lack of other major sports franchises.Jul 22, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms