By Rebekah L. Sanders and Nick Piecoro | Arizona Republic
Since the Diamondbacks took control of Chase Field, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has become less outspoken about the Arizona Diamondbacks leaving the stadium.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was outspoken two seasons ago about the Arizona Diamondbacks leaving Chase Field if Maricopa County didn’t pour significant money into stadium upgrades.
“For this particular facility to remain a major-league-quality stadium, there are substantial capital expenditures that need to be made,” Manfred said during a 2017 visit to the stadium. “If, for whatever set of reasons, those expenditures can’t be made, there will come a point in time where … we’re going to look for an alternative.”
At the time, the team was arguing in court that Chase Field needed at least $187 million in repairs, the county had not saved enough money to cover the work and the Diamondbacks should be released from their Chase Field lease to find a new home.
County officials at the time contended the team was responsible for some of the repairs and the stadium was on track to be updated as necessary.
