MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Gets Contract Extension to Remain Commish
UPDATE, 4:31 P.M EST: The extension is through the 2028 season and expires in early 2029.
On Wednesday, Major League Baseball owners voted to extend Rob Manfred's tenure as commissioner through the 2029 season.
Via a quick blurb from MLBTradeRumors:
Major League Baseball’s owners have voted to extend the contract of commissioner Rob Manfred through the 2029 season, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link).
The extension was seen as a foregone conclusion. Manfred was unanimously approved for a five-year extension when his contract was last up for vote, and he needed only a simple majority to be extended once again. He’s been the commissioner since 2014, when he succeeded the retiring Bud Selig.
There was never a doubt, as the post said. Manfred has helped the owners make an unprecedented amount of money and has brought massive money into the sport, which is the primary concern of owners.
While not always popular with fans, Manfred has helped usher in a new era of the sport this year. The new pitch clock and rules about disengagements and bigger bases seem to have given the sport its desired effect: It's made games go quicker, while also making them more entertaining.
Under Manfred's tenure, the sport has also added an additional playoff team, negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement, navigated the COVID pandemic and seen a rise in popularity of the World Baseball Classic.
The next thing that Manfred may oversee is a possible relocation of the Oakland Athletics. The team is trying to move to Las Vegas. That doesn't sit well with some fans, but again, owners like money, and this would bring it.
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