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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. — As uncertainty still hovers around the move of the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is confident the plan will come together in time, both in the short and longer term.
“I would be disappointed if we didn’t open that stadium, Opening Day, 2028,” Manfred said Thursday from the owners meetings. “In terms of an interim home [from 2025 to 2028] I’m comfortable with where they are in the process.
“It’s not like we don’t know where they’ll be in 2024. They’re doing a good job of exploring them and find the best possible opportunity.”
The A’s lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after this season so the team and league have been exploring places to play until their stadium in Las Vegas is complete. Manfred wouldn’t comment on potential cities, though Sacramento, Salt Lake City and staying in Oakland are all possible.
“They’re looking at all their revenue streams and figuring out where they can max out those streams,” Manfred said, adding that it will be ‘in the west.’
Owner John Fisher declined an opportunity for an interview Thursday.
The commissioner waved off any controversy surrounding comments Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman made on a podcast this week when she intimated the A’s should stay in Oakland. Not long after making those comments, Goodman softened her stance in a statement, saying she would ‘welcome’ the A’s.
“The governor, the Clark County officials, have all been supportive of the A’s moving to Las Vegas,” Manfred said. “She said one thing then said another so it kind of canceled each other out in my mind.”
Manfred also addressed the new stadium plan for the Rays in St. Petersburg, saying it’s working its way through the approval process.
“I spoke with [owner] Stu Sternberg [at the meetings],” Manfred said. “He’s positive about where the substance is. But we’re at the point now where it needs to go. It takes a long time to get in the ground and get a stadium built. The sooner the better.”
In other stadium news, Manfred is pleased the Chicago White Sox might be finding a new home in the city’s south loop, a day after the team released renderings of a new riverfront park. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf met with the mayor of Nashville during the winter meetings, sparking speculation of a move after the team’s current lease expires after the 2029 season.
“The White Sox are important to the city of Chicago,” Manfred said. “I’m excited about the possibility of a new facility there. I think the location would be great for them. I’d love to see Jerry at this point in his career get something done.”
While teams look to new stadiums, the Orioles are looking at a new owner after the Angelos family recently agreed to sell the team to billionaire investor David Rubenstein. The approval process is just beginning — but could move quickly.
“Once it’s public that there is going to be a sale, it leaves everyone in an awkward spot,” Manfred said. “I want to see that done as soon as possible.”
That could mean a vote before the next owners meetings or even before Opening Day, according to sources familiar with the situation. It takes 75% approval by existing owners for a sale to go through.
Other items on the week’s agenda at the Four Seasons included the owners sitting for a presentation by agent Casey Wasserman in relation to MLB players participating in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. If it was up to Manfred, MLB players would have consistent participation now that the sport has returned to the Olympics.
“I think the pros are the potential for an association between two great brands,” Manfred stated. “I love that combination of nationalism and sport.
“The con is the logistics. If you look at the calendar, its complicated by the proximity to the All-Star Game.”
The bigger question, according to some owners, is what happens after 2028. The Olympic Games are being held in Australia in 2032, doubling down on the logistical issues that come with pausing the major league season. It might lead to a ‘one-and-done’ event for major league players, something Wasserman helped push.
“I have always been of the view, we had multiple-year commitment,” Manfred said. “Casey softened me a little bit.”
The league is monitoring the Diamond Sports bankruptcy situation. Depending on its outcome, Manfred is hopeful to have at least a bundle of 14 teams to attract a streaming service to distribute in-market games as soon as 2025. Many teams are scrambling to fill revenue streams lost.
“This is a difficult time,” Manfred said. “Not only have we been unfamiliar with revenue declines — local media has been a fixed number for them. We have made clear we are exploring every opportunity to get them revenue in the short term. We’re trying to assure them with a vision as to what it’s going to look like longer term so we can rebuild that source of revenue.”
Manfred views the alliance between ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, which will produce a streaming service for sports fans, a win for MLB.
“I see that development as a positive,” Manfred said. “It’s another place that’s going to need to buy rights to make the platform go and be compelling. I think it’s good to have another buyer. It’s particularly good for us. It’s our three biggest partners.”
With all that’s on the table, the league won’t be expanding anytime in the near future but it’s on Manfred’s mind. Stadium deals for existing teams will need finalizing along with the long term for local broadcasting.
“We’re going to have to get our footing on local media a little bit better,” Manfred said. “In times of uncertainty, it’s hard to talk about additional change. Having said that, I have five years left [on his contract]. Those teams won’t be playing by the time I’m done but I would like the process along and [cities] selected.”
