MLB boss not ruling out return of second Bay Area team if expansion happens

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred reported nothing is off the table when it comes to prospective expansion including the return of a second MLB band to the Bay Area Speaking before Tuesday s All-Star Challenge in Atlanta Manfred noted expansion beyond the existing clubs will be an open book if and when he and group owners begin those conversations You know what People who want baseball should participate in the expansion process when we start that process Manfred stated as he met with members of the Baseball Writers Association of America And I think by being wide open with no predeterminations as to where it s going we re going to end up with the best locations if we want to expand The Giants are the only MLB club left in the Bay Area with its nearly million residents after the Athletics departed Oakland last fall for their new home in West Sacramento following a -year stay at the Coliseum Each plan to build a new local stadium for the A s fell through as did any hope of moving the band to San Jose with the Giants claiming territorial rights The Giants territorial rights to the South Bay reportedly only extended to the A s The A s declared in April that they would play at Sutter Strength Park in Sacramento until the end of the season before relocating to a new ballpark scheduled to open in located next to the Las Vegas Strip Manfred explained Tuesday that he had a positive relationship with former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf as they worked together to find a new home for the A s in the city with hopes that a new stadium would be constructed at Howard Terminal But Manfred had a different relationship with Sheng Thao who was elected as Oakland s mayor in recalled in November and was indicted on federal charges in January Barbara Lee was elected Oakland s new mayor in April I had worked very hard with Schaaf to try to make it work in Oakland I don t have any trouble with any administration official in Oakland Manfred declared I thought Mayor Thao was not particularly helpful when we got down to brass tacks but I don t think I m going to have to deal with her going forward Several Major League players have complained about the field conditions and infrastructure at Sutter Healthcare Park including the mound the batter s box and the shorter-than-usual foul poles The clubhouses for the A s and visiting teams are located beyond the left field wall and not near the dugouts It s less than ideal to say the least MLB Players Association chief Tony Clark commented of Sutter Vitality Park in a separate meeting with the BBWAA members in attendance All-Star Championship in San Francisco Manfred and Clark say plans are moving ahead exploring the possibility of using major leaguers in the Los Angeles Olympics a tournament that could be played on an extended All-Star break I think it is an opportunity to sphere the tournament on a really global stage Manfred stated Obviously the clubs are going to have to endorse this I mean it s a big deal MLB met with Los Angeles organizers on Monday in Atlanta ahead of the All-Star Contest and stated that Olympic authorities were meeting with the MLBPA If big leaguers are allowed to participate in the Olympics Oracle Park would be the front runner to host that year s All-Star Challenge the San Francisco Chronicle published Manfred mentioned Baltimore Boston and Toronto as viable future sites for All-Star Games There s a lot of work that still demands to be done Clark described the BBWAA in a separate session We do know players are interested in playing whether it s for the Organization USA or any number of other teams around the world There s just a lot of conversation that necessities to be had sooner rather than later to see how viable this is but we re hopeful that we can figure our way through it for the benefit of the meeting MLB did not allow players on -man rosters to participate in the Tokyo Olympics when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the U S - in the gold medal meeting Manfred Roberts talk Misiorowski National League All-Star manager Dave Roberts revealed including Milwaukee rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski on his band was an easy answer despite complaints from specific players over his inclusion after just five big league appearances If it brings excitement attention to our championship then I m all about it Roberts explained before Monday s Home Run Derby I think for me kind of my North Star is the All-Star Match should be the match s best players the Los Angeles Dodgers manager added before also addressing the other side of the argument by adding It s about the fans and what the fans want to see Misiorowski has pitched in only five games a record low for an All-Star sparking a debate between those who argue the match is for the the majority deserving players and those who believe it is for the fans Manfred disclosed Tuesday he made the decision based on the excitement that was going to be generated the fan interest in seeing this guy and adding a competitive pitcher to the challenge He s a very very good pitcher on a very very good run right now Manfred revealed Do I understand five starts is short Yeah I do And do I want to make that the norm No I don t But I think it was the right decision given where we were The -year-old created an instant stir when he threw a mph fastball for his first pitch in the big leagues Oh and for good measure he opened that debut on June against St Louis by throwing five no-hit innings before leaving with cramping in the Brewers - win The -foot- rookie is - with a ERA and has strikeouts with only hits allowed in innings It s an impressive debut but chosen players still believe the right-hander hasn t been in the meeting long enough to merit All-Star consideration over more established players Related Articles How Logan Webb s three-fastball mix helped land SF Giants ace at second All-Star Meeting Seattle s Cal Raleigh is first catcher and switch-hitter to win Home Run Derby Former Serra baseball star first-round pick convicted in Lake Tahoe killings of wife s parents Alhambra fireballer Cameron Millar highlights Bay Area selections in MLB draft Robot umpires to make All-Star Event debut paving way for manageable regular-season use in Rays sale Tampa Bay controlled by Stuart Sternberg since October explained last month it had entered special discussions for a sale to a group led by Patrick Zalupski Bill Cosgrove and Ken Babby and The Athletic announced Monday that a sale is expected to be finalized by September I have no reason to quibble with or dispute the reports that have been out there Manfred disclosed Because of damage caused to Tropicana Field in St Petersburg last October by Hurricane Milton the Rays are playing home games this season at Steinbrenner Field the New York Yankees spring training facility in Tampa We think we re going to be ready to play in in the Trop Manfred stated adding that there are contingency plans to start the season elsewhere before moving to Tropicana Field later in the year if the stadium isn t ready by opening day He didn t say what the contingency plans were