MLB commissioner touts benefits of new Rays stadium, and expediency
TAMPA — Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed Thursday that he will leave office when his current term expires in January 2029, and he said among the items on his remaining to-do list is attending opening day at the Rays’ planned new stadium.
Manfred would like to see the stadium — proposed to open in 2028 as part of the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Petersburg — approved by the city and county, and construction started as soon as possible.
In getting the deal done, he said the Rays, who been able to enjoy success on a budget, will be able to transform the way they do business.
“I think that the plan has the potential to significantly alter the economics of the franchise and make what has been an unbelievably efficient and effective organization even more effective, because you’ll have additional resources,” Manfred told the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday.
When approval could come for the $1.3 billion stadium is not yet set. St. Petersburg officials said Thursday that a planned April vote by the City Council now will be pushed back until at least May, which could impact the team’s plans to break ground by the end of the year in what officials say will be a tight construction timeline.
At last week’s owners meeting in Orlando, Manfred said, “We’re at the point now where it needs to go.” Thursday he said that wasn’t seeking to put pressure on the city and Pinellas County approval processes, but that he simply wants to get the stadium issue, which pre-dated him first taking office in January 2015, resolved.
“I meant nothing more by that comment than the sooner the financial side of things and the governmental side of things get determined then the sooner they can get approval on the new ballpark and the sooner we know they’ll have a new ballpark, the better it is for us,” Manfred said.
“I’m not sending any subtle message. I’d just rather have it done sooner rather than later. It’s been a long process. They seem like they have made a lot of progress. And obviously we’d just like to have it finished up so we know what we’re doing.”
Manfred, 65, had previously expressed a preference, in an ideal situation, for a site on the Tampa side of the Bay area, but also acknowledged that location isn’t the only determining factor in getting a stadium deal done.
He also has said he prefers to defer to team ownership on local matters and has gotten good reports from Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg about the latest plan, with the stadium to be built adjacent to their current Tropicana Field home.
“I think an issue like this is owner-centric,” Manfred said. “It’s what the owner wants to do. My view is he’s picked a path forward and we’re going to do everything we can to support it.”
On other Rays-related topics, Manfred, who later held a Q&A session with reporters during Florida spring media day at Steinbrenner Field, said:
• He had no updates on shortstop Wander Franco, who remains under investigation in the Dominican Republic over an alleged relationship with a minor.
Franco, 22, is on the Rays’ 40-man roster, but is not expected to report to spring training. A change in his status, such as placement on the restricted or administrative lists, may not happen until opening day.
• The genesis of the upcoming two-game exhibition series with Boston in the Dominican Republic was in response to interest from players, which had been expressed during the most recent labor negotiations.
“With such a large segment of major league-players that are from the Dominican Republic, we felt like it’s someplace that we need to go and play,” he said. “I wish we had a little bigger facility (Estadio Quisqueya holds about 15,000) that would make regular-season games more attractive down there, but this is the best we can do with the facilities that we have available.”
Among other topics, Manfred said:
• Though there have been some hitches, he still expects the Athletics’ planned move from Oakland to Las Vegas to be consummated: “I am confident that the deal in Las Vegas is solid, that the A’s will build a stadium in Las Vegas and play there in 2028.” He said a decision on an interim home will be made in the next few months.
• Any team that loses its TV and/or streaming deal with the Diamond Sports-owned Bally networks will have its games shown by an MLB-backed service.
• He would like to see the expansion process, which is dependent on the Rays and A’s resolving their stadium issues, at least be started before he leaves office, but doesn’t expect the new franchises to be awarded.
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