Major League Baseball remains hopeful that the Arizona Diamondbacks won’t face a similar venue dilemma as the neighboring Arizona Coyotes.
After Tempe, Arizona, voters firmly rejected a Coyotes arena proposal last month — leaving the NHL and team scrambling for next steps — the Diamondbacks increasingly have their own facility issues. The lease on the aging, publicly owned Chase Field expires after the 2027 season, and team officials must decide whether to build a new venue.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he doesn’t believe the Tempe vote speaks to a larger sentiment.
“Whenever you get near the end of a lease, you get yourself into a situation where what I regard to be public assets … need updating,” Manfred said following MLB owners meetings in New York. “I’m hopeful that whatever went on with the Coyotes is not an indication of a lack of support to fulfill the public part of the partnership to keep the Arizona facility a first-class, major league facility.”
Oakland Pushback
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed legislation authorizing $380 million in public funds for a $1.5 billion ballpark in Las Vegas for the Oakland A’s, pushing the team ever closer to a relocation.
After Manfred said, “What is it that Oakland was prepared to do? There is no Oakland [stadium] offer,” mayor Sheng Thao blasted back at the commissioner.
“This is just totally false. There was a very concrete proposal under discussion, and Oakland had gone above and beyond to clear hurdles,” Thao said through a spokesperson.
