A’s, Rays need new parks
MLB commissioner says teams may have to relocate without deals
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics need to reach new ballpark deals soon and left open the possibility of considering relocation if agreements are not struck.
“There is urgency with respect to Tampa,” Manfred said Thursday during a news conference following an owners meeting. “There needs to be a resolution in the Tampa Bay region for the Rays.”
Tampa Bay’s lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., where the team has played since its inaugural season in 1998, expires after the 2027 season. The Rays said in January that MLB had rejected the team’s plan to split its season between Florida and Montreal.
The Athletics have played at the Coliseum since 1968 and their lease expires after the 2024 season. The A’s have proposed a new ballpark at Howard Terminal and are working with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf to gain the necessary approvals.
“There is really significant activity in Oakland. The political process has moved along significantly,” Manfred said. “I met with Mayor Schaaf last week. She has done a really good job at moving the process forward in Oakland. But as you all know, California political processes are their own sort of animal. There’s work to do on the Oakland side. I think the A’s prudently have continued to pursue the Las Vegas alternative. We like Las Vegas as a market. Again, it’s in the same category as Tampa. We need a solution in both those markets and the time has come for that solution.”
Oakland has averaged a major league-low of 8,283 fans this season and the Rays are 25th at 13,740, also ahead of Miami, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
On other topics:
The new competition committee will evaluate a pitch clock and limits on defensive shifts, and Manfred hopes for a recommendation ahead of spring training.
MLB approved the sale of a minority stake in the Cleveland Guardians to David Blitzer, co-owner of the NBA’S Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’S New Jersey Devils. Blitzer will have the right to increase his stake to a controlling interest in several years.
MLB hopes to increase digital offerings of games in an era of declining cable viewers.
Notes: Kansas City infielder Nicky Lopez went to salary arbitration with the Royals, asking for $2.9 million instead of the team’s $2.55 million offer. A decision is expected on Friday. ... All-star outfielder Jesse Winker and the Mariners avoided a salary arbitration hearing when they agreed to a $14.5 million, two-year contract . ... Pitch clocks have shortened games by an average of 29 minutes in the minor leagues this year as the season nears the halfway point. Minor league games with a pitch clock have averaged 2 hours, 35 minutes, down from 3:04 through June 14 last year.