PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is optimistic that major leaguers will play in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Manfred, speaking following an owners meeting Thursday, said there are still issues to resolve with the Major League Baseball Players Association before those Olympic aspirations are a reality, but "I think we're a lot closer to there than we were the last time we talked about it," he said.
The six-nation baseball tournament will be played from July 13-19 at Dodger Stadium. MLB is planning for an extended All-Star break between July 9 and July 21, with the All-Star Game likely at San Francisco on July 11.
An agreement with the union is needed.
"I sense a lot of momentum towards playing in LA in 2028," Manfred said. "I think we are going to get over those issues. I think people have come to appreciate that the Olympics on U.S. soil is a unique marketing opportunity for the game. I think we had a lot of players interested in doing it and, you know, I feel pretty good about the idea (that) we'll get there."
In addition, an agreement is needed on insurance to cover player contracts for time with Olympic teams.
The United States will have an automatic berth in the both the baseball and softball tournaments and the top two other nations from the Americas in next month's World Baseball Classic will earn berths.
MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the U.S. 2-0 in the gold medal game.
Manfred was also asked if the involvement of Casey Wasserman, the prominent businessman and talent agent who has recently lost clients because of his appearance in recently released government files on Jeffrey Epstein, would deter the league from participating in the Olympics. He declined to comment on Wasserman, who is the chairman of the Los Angeles games, saying, "Look, our dealings are not with Casey. Our dealings are with the institution of the Olympics."
Manfred on Dodgers: 'Great teams' good for baseball
The addition of star outfielder Kyle Tucker by the Los Angeles Dodgers to what already was among the highest payrolls again sparked debate over whether management will propose a salary cap in collective bargaining this year.
Manfred said there hasn't been much movement in salary cap talks.
Tucker, the right fielder who is considered one of the best players in baseball, is the latest accomplished veteran brought in by the Dodgers, who have three of the top eight current contracts by average annual value. Los Angeles also signed top closer Edwin Díaz to bolster its bullpen.
"Look, I think great teams are always good for baseball," he said. "I think with respect to this particular great team, it added to what we have been hearing from fans in a lot of markets for a long time about the competitiveness of the game. But great teams are always good baseball."
Bargaining is likely to start this spring on a labor contract to succeed the deal that expires Dec. 1.
"We're in the preparation process," Manfred said. "We haven't agreed on a calendar with the MLBPA and it does take two to tango, as they say, but historically after opening day we kind of get started."
WBC insurance process
Manfred said there likely isn't a way around insurance issues that have come up for MLB-contracted players planning to play in next month's World Baseball Classic. Several stars, including Puerto Rico's Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa, were left off their countries' rosters because the WBC insurer wouldn't cover them.
"We like that, when they say they want to play, obviously," Manfred said. "But then to have a problem with the insurance and the guy being unable to play, we recognize that. I'm just not sure that there is a way around it."
The tournament is co-owned by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. Insurance is provided by National Financial Partners.
"In order to get clubs comfortable with the idea that guys should play earlier in games they otherwise would not play, we had to protect them financially," Manfred said.
Coach's boxes
Owners approved a rules change requiring first- and third-base coaches to remain in the marked coaching boxes. Coaches have frequently moved toward home plate, in a better position to better relay signs from the defensive team that may pick up.
Decline of regional sports networks
MLB will produce and distribute local television broadcasts of at least 14 teams this season following financial problems of Main Street Sports Group's FanDuel Sports Network.
"The RSN situation has an impact on our revenue growth because the decline there is a drag on what is otherwise a growing industry," Manfred said. "It is true that the smaller markets have been hit harder than the larger markets, which impacts revenue sharing. Having said both of those, I think longer term, our content is inherently valuable. We deliver tons of eyeballs, and I think when we have an opportunity to get to market in 2028, we're going to be just fine."
Manfred said the 14 teams are "probably making a little less than they made under their old contracts."
"The key word there is old," he added. "The reason those contracts aren't there anymore was they were not economic given the cord-cutting that's going on."
Changes in team control
Teams approved two changes in controlling owners: Cincinnati Reds CEO Phil Castellini succeeds his father Minnesota Twins board member Tom Pohlad takes over from takes over from his younger brother Bob.
Manfred said of the San Diego Padres' sale process: "There is robust interest in what is viewed as a really appealing asset."
Executive council
Milwaukee chairman Mark Attanasio and Baltimore control owner David Rubenstein were voted to the eight-man executive council, replacing Arizona managing general partner Ken Kendrick and Seattle chairman John Stanton. The council also includes San Francisco chairman Greg Johnson and Cleveland chairman Paul Dolan (whose terms expire in 2027) and Miami chairman Bruce Sherman and Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno (2028) and New York Mets chairman Steve Cohen and Athletics managing partner John Fisher (2029).
Corporate deals
MLB approved extensions of its contract with Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. and of the deals for Comcast Corp. and Cox Communications Inc. to carry the Extra Innings package of out-of-market TV broadcasts.
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