NEW YORK — Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred didn’t quite start the clock on resolution of the Rays’ ongoing pursuit of a new stadium in the Tampa Bay area before considering relocation options, but he appears to be at least checking the batteries.
“I think there is urgency with respect to Tampa Bay,” Manfred said Thursday at the conclusion of the quarterly owners meetings. “I’ve said this before and I’m going to say it again, there needs to be a resolution in the Tampa Bay region for the Rays. Obviously, the end of that lease (at Tropicana Field after the 2027 season) is a hard deadline. But you need to take into account that stadiums take a little bit of time to build, right?
“So we are getting to the point where, wherever it is in the region that has an interest in having 162 baseball games, they need to get to it. Get with the club. I know the Rays are anxious to get something done. And see if a deal can be made.”
After the league in January killed the Rays’ plans to pursue splitting seasons between new stadiums in Tampa Bay and Montreal, community and team leaders said they would resume conversations about finding a full-season home in the market.
Five months’ time has not yielded any apparent significant progress, though St. Petersburg mayor Ken Welch is pushing for the team to decide which side of the bay it wants to be on by June 30.
Manfred said the focus remains on finding a solution in the Tampa Bay market but acknowledged that at some point relocation would be considered.
“Right now, I’m focused on Tampa Bay,” he said. “I think a great man once said all good things must end at some point. Right now, we’re focused on Tampa Bay.”
The Oakland A’s also are years deep into a search for a new home. While the team is still talking with Oakland officials, it also was given permission to pursue an alternative option in Las Vegas, which Manfred said is a market MLB likes.
“(Oakland is) in the same category as Tampa Bay,” Manfred said. “We need a solution in both those markets. And the time has come for that solution.”
