MLB commissioner Rob Manfred will step down in 2029

Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Thursday that he will step down from the position in 2029.

"You can only have so much fun in one lifetime," Manfred told reporters at Grapefruit League media day in Tampa, Florida. "I have been open with [owners] about the fact that this is going to be my last term."

Before Manfred joined the MLB in 1987, he was a lawyer. He first worked as outside counsel and then as a chief negotiator for labor matters before succeeding Bud Selig as the commissioner in 2015. After finishing two five-year terms, he was given the third one by the owners until January 2029.

The major league has gone through a lot during Manfred's tenure. He introduced a pitch clock last year and expanded the playoffs in 12 teams in 2022, and MLB attendance for the 2023 campaign increased by nearly 10 percent. He is also still trying to expand the MLB to 32 teams. 

However, Manfred's decision of giving players blanket immunity in exchange for their testimony in the Houston Astros' cheating scandal also drew a lot of criticism. The major league suffered a lockout during 2021-2022. Though the owners and the MLB Players Association reached a five-year collective bargaining agreement, it will expire in 2026.

He also shared his opinions on several other matters concerning the owners and players.

For example, the league will have new on-field Nike Vapor Premier uniforms from the 2024 season, but many players and fans dislike them, saying they look like cheaper replica jerseys. One anonymous player told ESPN that "they're not great, definitely not an advancement."

"We always pay attention to what people are saying about any new initiative. As you know in baseball, with any new initiative there's going to be some negative feedback," Manfred said. "First and most important, these are Nike jerseys. We entered into this partnership with Nike because of who they are and the kinds of products they produce."

With MLB Spring Training set to begin on February 22, there are still multiple star free agents unsigned on the market, including National League Cy Young award winner Blake Snell and World Series champion Jordan Montgomery. According to Manfred, team owners prefer a free agent signing period similar to other sports.

"We actually made proposals to that effect to the MLBPA. They were not warmly received," the commissioner said. "With the system we have right now, one of the tactics that's available to player representatives is to stretch out the negotiation in the belief they're going to get a better deal. That's part of the system right now. There's not a lot we can do about it. Certainly, from an aspirational perspective, we'd rather have two weeks of flurried activity in December, preferably around the winter meetings where you're all there to write about it."