Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Yennier Cano (78) walks in the dugout after the Texas Rangers defeated the Orioles in Game 3 of a baseball AL Division Series on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Shocking Speculation Arises for Baltimore Orioles’ Future Within City
In late September, it looked like the Baltimore Orioles were close to signing a long-term extension with the city, state and other crucial parties to ensure they’d be at Camden Yards for the foreseeable future.
Now, that deal has not only been put on the backburner, it could be on life support.
Maryland’s governor Wes Moore and the team announced a 30-year deal that would keep the team at Oriole Park and also give the team developmental rights to create an entertainment district at Camden Yards, despite other politicians being critical about them being granted these rights for state-owned land.
Moore walked back this deal, calling for a pause in the negotiations as more politicians have become public in their criticism to this long-term contract.
State Senate President Bill Ferguson said in a written statement, “Fundamentally, I believe that the long-term lease for the use of the ballpark should not be conditioned on whether or not a private owner receives a 99-year ground lease to develop land owned by Maryland taxpayers … This is more relevant today, as recent news has heightened uncertainties about the future ownership of the team.”
In early December, there was a report that the Angelos family might be looking to sell the Orioles.
Nashville, which was the site of the 2023 Winter Meetings, has become a hot city that’s been discussed for potential expansion.
A sale of the franchise would open the door for another ownership group to move the team out of Baltimore.
David Rubenstein, who was mentioned as someone interested in buying the Orioles, is a Baltimore native and would likely keep the team in the city.
However, other interested parties could view this as their opportunity to bring Major League Baseball to Nashville.
So, as the long-term deal that would keep the Orioles in their current stadium and area for multiple years is falling apart, there’s potential that Baltimore might lose their team entirely in a worst-case scenario.
