There’s no doubt a huge chunk of the Padres’ fan base is feeling, as the old saying goes, the unease of a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

They’ve seen the talent-hogging onslaught engineered this offseason by the defending World Series champion Dodgers.

They know the Giants signed top-10 MVP finisher Willy Adames at shortstop and added aging All-Star arm Justin Verlander. They’re aware that the Diamondbacks scooped up ace Corbin Burnes and All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor.

In San Diego, by contrast, it’s been as quiet as the Vatican library.

Stir in the Padres’ unsettling version of Family Feud, where the courts will decide whether beloved owner Peter Seidler’s widow, Sheel, or brothers Matt and Robert Seidler hold the long-term reins and the anxiety spikes.

That colored the team’s annual FanFest at Petco Park on Saturday with a mix of optimism about the core of the team that pushed the Dodgers to the edge in the playoffs and rippling concern about the uncertain road ahead.

The inactivity beyond signing veteran catcher Elias Diaz — hardly a headline-grabber — has some rattled.

“No one’s going to have the same pocketbook Peter had, but it’s like they’re not spending at all,” said Justin Seleska of Carlsbad. “They’re not spending anything. They said, ‘We’re doing it for Peter, we’re doing it for Peter,’ but they’re not doing what Peter would necessarily want, either.”

It’s entirely understandable.

At a time when stagnancy feels like losing ground, the complete lack of front-office activity might not crush confidence. It’s on fragile footing, though.

The ownership tussle has become an uncomfortable curveball as February arrives.

“The starting pitching is still hurting,” said El Centro’s Dennis Bourland. “The bullpen is solid, but (starting pitching) is where (baseball operations boss A.J. Preller) needs to work his magic.

“He was a lot more active the last couple years.”

Fans also cringed at comments made by All-Star left fielder Jurickson Profar, who signed with Atlanta with a poke to the ribs: “Obviously, the Padres have some issue with the ownership and all that. It was difficult to go back.”

Prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki narrowed his teams to the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays. When he chose the Dodgers, he cited the stability up top as a major factor.

The Seidler brothers and Sheel Seidler blamed each other for the choppy water.

“It’s kind of concerning, the comment Profar made about ownership,” Bourland said. “I’m hoping the family can figure things out.”

Preller pointed to something as well: last offseason.

“Those deals come at different points in time,” Preller told fans in Gallagher Square. “Last season we were able to add a Dylan Cease at the end of spring training, Luis Arraez a month into the year. Donovan Solano at this point in time wasn’t signed.

“It’s not for a lack of effort from all three of our parts (nodding toward CEO Erik Greupner and manager Mike Shildt), but ultimately we’re going to do something that makes sense. We’re going to do it at the right time.”

Preller also acknowledged the job left to do, indicating that upgrades are coming.

“We know we’ve got some work in front of us,” he said. “We’ve got to add a bat or two. We’ve got to add another starting pitcher or two. I’ve got a lot of faith over the next few weeks and into the season, we’ll look to keep adding to the roster.”

Preller is the biggest reason for fans to cling to hope that some cage-rattling awaits on the horizon.

Inactivity causes him to break out in hives.

That has been tested, however, by the losses of Profar, Ha-Seong Kim, Tanner Scott, Kyle Higashioka and Solano. Add in pitcher Joe Musgrove’s recovery from Tommy John surgery and the lack of clarity about the ownership transition and things seem murky.

“It’s like a divorce,” said Christina Bartsch of Tierrasanta. “The Padres are like the kids caught in the divorce. Who’s going to get custody? Then you have everybody leaving in free agency.

“But Friar Faithful, right? We’ll still going to have faith in them.”

Shildt offered a vote of confidence for the guy at the team-molding top.

“A.J. Preller’s done a phenomenal job of putting talent on the field,” Shildt said.

Right now, though, it’s lacking.

Preller indeed does much of his best work late. There’s still time to uncork an expectations-shifting trade, such as moving Cease before the client of big-money agent Scott Boras tries to maximize his free-agent haul a season from now.

Preller revived the careers of pitchers Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo. He’s the same guy who traded generational hitter Juan Soto, landing Michael King and Higashioka in return.

Expectations are bigger now after coming so close in 2024.

Bourland, of El Centro, said the bar has been raised for all.

“They massively built the fan base the last couple years,” he said. “They’ve got the financial support from all the fans. So they need to figure things out ownership-wise and get this team back to where they need to be.”

Until things change, watch out for those rocking chairs.