Rob Manfred is expected to win reelection as Major League Baseball's commissioner when the 30 franchise owners cast their votes next week as part of a meeting scheduled to take place at Washington, D.C., according to Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Manfred, who needed only a majority of votes in order to secure reelection, has been MLB's commissioner since taking over for Bud Selig in 2014. His contract runs through January 2025, and he's previously served terms at a five-year interval with his most recent re-election taking place in 2018.
Here's more on the process, again courtesy of Drellich and Rosenthal's report:
The vote next week comes right at the start of a window where Manfred can be re-elected by majority vote of lead owners. Beginning 18 months before the expiration of a commissioner's term, a majority vote is sufficient to bring a commissioner back, compared to the three-quarters vote required for an extension at other times (or for the election of a new commissioner). That window runs until nine months remain on a commissioner's contract.
Manfred's legacy includes it share of highs and lows, but to his credit MLB's revenues have continued to grow under his guidance. The assortment of new rules introduced this season, meanwhile, have mostly been well-received. The pitch clock, for example, has achieved its desired effect of shaving about 30 minutes off the average length of game.
On the flip side, just last year Manfred oversaw the owner-imposed lockout, which was MLB's first work stoppage since the 1994-1995 players' strike. He also recently expressed regret over how he handled the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal -- specifically with the decision to give all players involved immunity in return for honest accounts of what happened. Manfred instead punished the manager, general manager and the franchise as a whole through fines, suspensions and draft-pick forfeiture.
