Rob Manfred says he’ll step down as MLB commissioner in 2029

TAMPA, Fla. — Main League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred informed reporters Thursday that this will probably be his last time period in workplace and he’ll retire when it expires in January 2029.

Manfred, 65, changed Bud Selig as commissioner in January 2015 and has since been given two five-year phrases. The house owners voted in July to present him a 3rd time period.

“You possibly can solely have a lot enjoyable in a single lifetime,” Manfred stated to reporters at Grapefruit League media day in Tampa, Florida. “I’ve been open with [owners] about the truth that that is going to be my final time period.”

Manfred, a lawyer who has labored with MLB since 1987 — first as exterior counsel, then as a chief negotiator for labor issues — took over from Selig, who spent 18 years as commissioner.

In Manfred’s tenure, the sport has undergone huge adjustments. The profitable implementation of a pitch clock final 12 months coincided with a virtually 10% enhance in attendance, and in 2022, Manfred oversaw playoff enlargement to 12 groups.

His tenure will partly be outlined by his dealing with of the Houston Astros’ dishonest scandal, through which he gave gamers blanket immunity in alternate for his or her testimony. “Perhaps not my greatest choice ever,” he informed Time.

Manfred additionally oversaw the lockout of gamers in 2021-22 that pushed the sport to the precipice of a big work stoppage. The league and the MLB Gamers Affiliation finally struck a deal on a five-year collective bargaining settlement that may expire after the 2026 season.

Earlier than Manfred leaves the job, he stated Thursday, he hopes to have a course of “in place” for the league to broaden to 32 groups.

Manfred preaches persistence on new uniforms

Though some gamers — and plenty of followers on social media — have criticized the brand new Nike Vapor Premier uniforms for wanting like cheaper reproduction jerseys, Manfred stated they are going to grow to be “in style” with time.

“We all the time take note of what individuals are saying about any new initiative. As you understand in baseball, with any new initiative there’s going to be some unfavorable suggestions,” Manfred stated. “First and most essential, these are Nike jerseys. We entered into this partnership with Nike due to who they’re and the sorts of merchandise they produce.”

There have been a number of experiences about gamers not liking the look or match, nonetheless. Gamers have additionally complained there are fewer tailor-made choices obtainable for the pants.

One participant, who wished to stay nameless, informed ESPN.com: “They are not nice, positively not an development.”

“The jerseys are completely different,” Manfred stated. “They’re designed to be efficiency put on versus what’s been historically worn, so they’ll be completely different. However they’ve been examined extra extensively than any jersey in any sport. The suggestions from the All-Star Recreation final 12 months the place the jerseys have been worn was uniformly optimistic from the gamers, so I believe after individuals put on them somewhat bit, they will be actually in style.”

House owners push without spending a dime agent signing interval

With a number of high free brokers nonetheless unsigned, together with Nationwide League Cy Younger winner Blake Snell and postseason hero Jordan Montgomery, Manfred stated the house owners would favor a free agent signing interval much like different sports activities with a purpose to expediate the method.

“We truly made proposals to that impact to the MLBPA. They weren’t warmly obtained,” he stated. “With the system we’ve proper now, one of many techniques that is obtainable to participant representatives is to stretch out the negotiation within the perception they will get a greater deal. That is a part of the system proper now. There’s not quite a bit we will do about it. Definitely, from an aspirational perspective, we would quite have two weeks of flurried exercise in December, ideally across the winter conferences the place you are all there to write down about it.”

Manfred ‘assured’ on A’s transfer to Vegas

There have been no new updates on the Oakland Athletics’ transfer to Las Vegas or the pending sale of the Baltimore Orioles to personal fairness billionaire David Rubenstein. Manfred stated that he stays “assured” that the transfer to Las Vegas is “stable” and that the league hopes to maneuver rapidly in approving the Orioles’ sale.

Whereas the A’s will play in Oakland in 2024, they’re nonetheless looking for a brief dwelling till the proposed Vegas stadium would open in 2028. With the 2025 schedule finalized in July, Manfred stated the A’s might want to decide on the 2025 dwelling earlier than then.

MLB to help groups in DSG fallout

The fallout from the Diamond Sports activities Group chapter case continues to be ongoing, however Manfred reiterated that the league can be ready to again groups.

“Any membership that Diamond walks away from, we will probably be able to help them, each within the conventional cable mannequin and the digital aspect of the home,” Manfred stated. “It would not matter whether or not it is three extra or 10 extra, we are going to deal with them.”

MLB took over the native broadcasts for the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks final season after Diamond walked away from these offers.

Following up on groups fabricating accidents

Manfred stated the league continues to be wanting into groups fabricating participant accidents, a difficulty for which he suspended former New York Mets common supervisor Billy Eppler final week.

“I’ve learn a pair feedback from gamers that we’re following up on,” he stated. “If in reality it’s extra widespread, it issues me, as a result of it is a type of dishonest and it is incumbent upon us to determine if it is extra widespread. One factor I have been completely clear about: The truth that you allege that any individual else is doing is just not a protection if we catch you. Everybody has their very own private accountability on these points.”

ESPN’s Jeff Passan contributed to this report.