Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB will move forward under current betting rules
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfreddeclared Wednesday that the league does not foresee new restrictions on betting specials in baseball, after the main sports books in the United States recently established a national limit of $200 for individual pitch bets and prohibited including them in combined bets to curb manipulation.
“I think the most important task, and the basis of our relationship with the bookmakers, is the ability to monitor their activity,” Manfred said Wednesday during the owners’ meetings. “The ability to detect inappropriate patterns is critical. We understood the problem with special bets from the beginning. I’m glad we took action on it. As for the rest of the program, I think we are prepared to move forward with the current rules.”
Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Class and Luis Ortiz, were charged on November 9 with fraud, conspiracy and bribery for an alleged plot to fix pitches and thus generate profits for bettors. The restrictions on sports betting were announced the next day.
On Friday, members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which oversees professional sports, sent a letter to Manfred expressing concern about a “new integrity crisis” facing American professional sports and requesting answers about the pitchers’ alleged scheme.
On Wednesday, Manfred stated that the league will “respond fully, cooperatively and in a timely manner” to the Senate investigation, adding that the limitations announced this month represent “a really significant change that should reduce the incentive for someone to engage inappropriately.”
Clase and Ortiz face a lifetime ban for their alleged activity. Manfred indicated that the league’s investigation remains ongoing.
The betting scandal clouded the mood in MLB after a season of high ratings, culminating in a thrilling seven-game World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. On Wednesday, Manfred declared that “business is in a great place,” while noting that, with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire on December 1, 2026, the competitive balance, based on the insistence of small-market clubs being at a significant disadvantage to large-market teams, remains problematic from the league’s perspective.
Manfred indicated that the labor issue was addressed at owners’ meetings this week, but declined to provide details about those discussions.
“What I can say on the issue of competitive balance is that we have a significant segment of our fans who have been vocal about it and, in general, we try to pay attention to our fans,” Manfred said. “So it’s a topic of conversation.”
Manfred again emphasized that his top priority is to prevent a strike from leading to the league’s suspension of games in 2027.
“Since I’ve been in baseball, he has never missed a single game and my goal is to make this next one happen, maintaining that record,” Manfred said. “There’s a lot of work to do between now and then, but that’s my goal.”
Other topics that Manfred discussed:
• He said renovations to Tropicana Field are progressing “very well” as the Tampa Bay Rays prepare to return to the indoor stadium for the 2026 season, after Hurricane Milton devastated the area in October 2024, forcing the team to play its 2025 home games at the New York Yankees’ spring training camp.
“I think they only have two panels left, and they expect the roof to be dry the first week of December, which is a very important milestone for us. New turf and padding will be installed, new flooring throughout the stadium, and the boxes and seating areas will be renovated. All the air quality tests have gone well. We are very pleased with the progress,” he said.
Regarding the Rays’ search for a long-term home, Manfred said the franchise’s new ownership group, led by Patrick Zalupskiis “working hard to explore the market in the Tampa Bay region and determine its options.”
• Manfred said he expects there will be interest in buying the San Diego Padres after the family Seidler announced that it is considering the possible sale of the franchise.
“I guess it’s a very attractive franchise,” Manfred said. “They’ve done a great job building a fan base. The stadium experience in San Diego is probably one of the best. They have great players and I hope there are people interested in buying.”
• Manfred declined to comment on the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the former pitcher’s family. Tyler Skaggs against the Los Angeles Angels. The family argues that the team knew, or should have known, that the former communications director, Eric Kaydistributed pills to the players. Kay was sentenced to 22 years in prison in October 2022 for providing the fentanyl-tainted pill that Skaggs ingested, causing his death on July 1, 2019.
• Manfred announced that MLB and PitchCom — the company behind the sign system that pitchers and catchers have been able to use since 2022 following the sign-stealing scandals — have agreed to a six-year extension.
• Manfred also announced two major changes to the All-Star Week schedule: The Draft, whose first round took place on Sunday, will be held on Saturday, and the Futures Game will be moved from Saturday to Sunday.