After weeks of growing optimism, the Baltimore Orioles say talks are in the final stages to keep the team at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Orioles managing partner John Angelos said it’s a “given” the team will remain at Camden Yards and avoid a lapse after the current lease deal expires at the end of the year. The lack of a signed stadium agreement has raised months of local speculation about a potential club relocation.
“The Orioles have a 70-year partnership with the city and the state, and Camden Yards more than 30,” Angelos told The Baltimore Banner. “And we’re going to have 30 more. That’s a given … I have every confidence we’ll get it done.”
The often-reclusive executive made his comments as the Orioles clinched their first playoff appearance since 2016 on Sunday, advancing a remarkable turnaround that has been one of MLB’s leading stories this year.
The lease deal will open up $600 million in Maryland bond funds for ballpark upgrades. For months, state officials and Angelos have been divided on the scope of the stadium project, with Maryland seeking a narrower agreement and the team interested in a broader, mixed-use development of the Camden Yards area.
A’s Vote This Fall?
The relocation of the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas could reach an MLB ownership vote in November, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The proposed club move is under review by a newly established MLB relocation committee led by Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio.
The status of the team’s planned stadium along the Las Vegas Strip, however, remains uncertain, with recent developments including a new effort to force a referendum vote on the public funding in the project, questions on the club’s interim home, and continued fan unrest.
