Manfred says Tampa area politicians will be given time to sort out Rays' ballpark situation

NEW YORK (AP) — Tampa area politicians will be given time to sort out the Rays' ballpark situation following Hurricane Milton, and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said there has been no thought to allowing the team to explore a relocation.

“Given the devastation in that area, it’s kind of only fair to give the local governments in the Tampa Bay region an opportunity to sort of figure out where they are, what they have available in terms of resources, what’s doable,” Manfred said Wednesday at a news conference after a Major League Baseball owners meeting.

Tampa Bay announced a stadium plan in September 2023 but following Hurricane Milton, which damaged Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 9, the Pinellas County Commission has not approved financing bonds for the new ballpark. The Rays said this week the new ballpark wouldn't be able to open until 2029, if at all.

“We’re committed to the fans in Tampa Bay,” Manfred said. “Given all that’s happened in that market, we’re focused on our franchise in Tampa Bay right now.”

The team will play home games this year across the bay at the New York Yankees' spring training ballpark, Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

“It’s one thing to make an interim arrangement for 2025, which we’ve done,” Manfred said. “When you get into another year, there’s obviously going to be another interim arrangement unless they get the Trop fixed, and I think that second year of an interim arrangement, you need a plan as to how you’re going to get into a permanent facility.”

Committee meetings took place Wednesday and a full owners session is scheduled for Thursday.

Athletics

Manfred maintained the proposed Las Vegas ballpark for the A's remains on schedule to open in 2028. The team will spend the next three seasons in West Sacramento, California, after leaving Oakland.

“100% full-steam ahead,” Manfred said. “I understand there seems to be some sense of doubt that persists out there.”

A's owner John Fisher may attempt to sell equity.

“They’ve gone through the process of demonstrating that whether or not he takes local partners, he has the capacity to build the stadium,” Manfred said.

Expansion?

Manfred has repeatedly said the A's and Rays have to have new ballpark plans in place before MLB considers expansion to 32 teams.

“I'm not worried about the outcome in Las Vegas,” Manfred said. “I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to work through the situation in Tampa Bay in a way that keeps me on the timetable that I’ve articulated, which is to have an expansion decision made before I leave in four years.”

Local television broadcasting

MLB will handle the production and distribution of games for Arizona, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, Milwaukee, Minnesota and San Diego next year.

“We did a pretty good job in terms of maximizing the economics for the clubs,” Manfred said. “We have a lot of flexibility come 2028, which was our primary focus.”

MLB hopes to keep gaining team rights and eventually launch a national package.

“More games on national outlets is an important key to maximizing your revenue,” Manfred said. “Once you realize that, you can begin to build a consensus around the idea that we need to be more national and we’ve worked really hard to start to build a consensus. ... If you’re making a change that you believe is going to substantially increase your revenue over the long haul, it gives you that great thing that helps you solve a lot of problems. It's called money."

Salary cap?

Manfred said the owner economic reform committee he appointed in 2023 has dealt mostly with revenue and media issues.

“We have not really even begun in a meaningful way discussions about labor,” he said. “Can't make a judgment as to what we’re going to propose on any labor topic.”

The five-season collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2026.

Marketing

“We think we’re doing a much better job of marketing our players,” Manfred said. “Obviously a lot of focus on Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, but it’s not just them, it’s Bobby Witt Jr. and (Paul) Skenes and a whole group of young players who frankly give us a lot back in terms of their engagement.”

Manfred said the median age of ticket buyers has dropped from 51 to 46 in the last five years and TV viewers from 18-34 rose by more than 10% this year.

“The international numbers from our postseason and from our opener in Korea make us believe that the investments that we’ve made in international over a really long period of time are paying off for us,” he said.

Age falsification among prospects

MLB determined a prospect whom San Diego intended to sign was 19 years old and not 14, which first was reported by ESPN early in November.

“I think, unfortunately, that age and identity issues are an ongoing issue that we constantly monitor,” Manfred said. “We continue to believe that they’re not as widespread as they were at one time. We also continue to believe we have not completely solved the problem.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press