TAMPA, Fla. – Rob Manfred has had enough fun, or so he says.
On Thursday, Major League Baseball's controversial commissioner made his most outspoken statement yet about the end of his term at the New York Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa. Responding to a question about his future, Manfred, 65, said his upcoming term as commissioner will be his last. There will be a new top man in baseball after the 2028 season.
“I just started a five-year term. That math, right? That makes me 70 years old. “You can only have so much fun in a lifetime,” he joked to a room full of media. “I was open with it [the 30 MLB franchise owners] about the fact that this will be my last term in office.”
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Given the nature of his comments, it was clear that Manfred did not intend for this revelation to become big news. After his press conference, he seemed surprised by the attention he had just attracted. This was anything but a pre-planned announcement. However, Manfred's admission Thursday was by far the most definitive timeline the commissioner has ever publicly announced.
Last July, MLB's 30 club owners voted to extend Manfred's contract through the 2028 season. Around that time, he told reporters, including The Athletic's Evan Drellich, that he “has what I think is the best job in the world. My current thought is that I would like to keep doing it.”
It remains to be seen whether something has changed Manfred's mind in the last seven months, whether this was always the plan or whether he is using a lack of public interest as potential leverage with the team owners. A lot can and will change between now and 2028, but it's worth noting that Manfred reportedly earns around $25 million annually in his role – not a bag of cash to be left behind so easily.
On the possibility of a representation-free period
While his comment about an eventual departure made headlines, it wasn't the only notable part of Manfred's annual spring training address. When asked about the rapid pace of the free agent market this winter – reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger are all still available – Manfred pointed to the possibility of a deadline for free agents.
“We would prefer to have a signing period for free agents, ideally probably in December, with a deadline that gets people to finalize their contracts,” he said.
Manfred said the league made similar suggestions to the MLB Players Association, suggestions that “were not received very favorably.” (It's no surprise that the union opposes any sort of arbitrary deadline that could eliminate leverage and drive prices down.) While such a deadline could certainly make MLB free agency a more attractive entertainment product, there isn't an obvious one Incentivize players or agents to do so.
On the league's new jerseys
The free agent pool remains frozen, but the discussion about the new MLB uniforms is generating some excitement. Made by Fanatics, the Nike jerseys – officially called the Nike Vapor Premier jerseys – look and feel more affordable than previous versions. Additionally, since the MLB logo on the back of the jersey is larger and moved down a few inches, the nameplate fonts are much, much smaller, resulting in a strange, disjointed aesthetic that frustrates fans and players alike.
When asked if the league was aware of the backlash, Manfred played politician.
“Well, we always pay attention to what people say about any new initiative. And with a new initiative, there will be some negative feedback,” he said. “I think if people wear them a little bit, I think they'll be really popular.”
Finally, Manfred's comments about the Oakland A's impending move to Las Vegas are sure to raise eyebrows. When asked by Yahoo Sports how the league plans to maintain its presence in Oakland after the A's leave the city, Manfred pointed to the other side of the bay.
“First of all, we have a major league team in the Bay Area,” he said. “It’s not that there isn’t an option available. The Giants are obviously still playing there.”
While Manfred also pointed to MLB's community involvement and youth programs in the East Bay as evidence of the league's commitment to the region, the conclusion is that A's fans should simply ditch their green and gold caps for black and orange , which is sure to piss off die-hard Oakland fans the wrong way.
And where will the A's play between the expiration of their lease at the Coliseum at the end of 2024 and Opening Day in 2028? Manfred's guess is as good as yours. Several deadlines have already passed for the organization to find a temporary home, and Manfred once again insisted that plans must be finalized by the summer so MLB can adequately prepare next season's schedule.