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

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred explained nothing is off the table when it comes to prospective expansion including the return of a second MLB unit to the Bay Area Speaking before Tuesday s All-Star Competition in Atlanta Manfred disclosed expansion beyond the existing clubs will be an open book if and when he and unit owners begin those conversations You know what People who want baseball should participate in the expansion process when we start that process Manfred commented 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 club 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 released in April that they would play at Sutter Wellbeing 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 declared 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 complication with any regime official in Oakland Manfred mentioned 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 explained of Sutter Physical condition Park in a separate meeting with the BBWAA members in attendance All-Star Competition 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 industry the tournament on a really global stage Manfred mentioned 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 Battle and stated that Olympic administrators 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 informed Manfred mentioned Baltimore Boston and Toronto as feasible future sites for All-Star Games There s a lot of work that still necessities to be done Clark explained the BBWAA in a separate session We do know players are interested in playing whether it s for the Unit USA or any number of other teams around the world There s just a lot of conversation that requirements 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 contest Manfred Roberts talk Misiorowski National League All-Star manager Dave Roberts announced including Milwaukee rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski on his band was an easy answer despite complaints from particular players over his inclusion after just five big league appearances If it brings excitement attention to our tournament then I m all about it Roberts noted 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 contest is for 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 event 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 several players still believe the right-hander hasn t been in the tournament 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 Championship 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 Tournament debut paving way for manageable regular-season use in Rays sale Tampa Bay controlled by Stuart Sternberg since October commented last month it had entered unique discussions for a sale to a group led by Patrick Zalupski Bill Cosgrove and Ken Babby and The Athletic stated 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 reported 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 disclosed 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