Rob Manfred Planning to Retire as MLB Commissioner After Current Term

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters Thursday that he will retire when his current five-year term comes to a close in January 2029.

Rob Manfred announced Thursday that he plans to retire as MLB commissioner when his current contract expires.

Manfred's current five-year term is slated to end on Jan. 25, 2029.

"You can only have so much fun in one lifetime," Manfred said, per The Athletic's Evan Drellich. "I have been open with (the owners) about the fact that this is going to be my last term."

Manfred has been commissioner since January 2015, when he took over for Bud Selig. He had served as MLB's Chief Operating Officer for the previous 16 months, and he has been working with the league in several capacities since 1987.

The 65-year-old Cornell and Harvard Law School graduate has guided baseball through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal, a politically-charged relocation of the 2021 All-Star Game and a lockout in the 2022 offseason. Owners gave Manfred contract extensions in 2018 and 2023.

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Manfred said he aims to have plans in place for a two-team expansion by the time he retires, although he would not commit to franchises being officially awarded by then.

Manfred also touched on other topics outside of his own personal future on Thursday. He suggested a more rigid free agency period with actual deadlines, in addition to providing updates on the Oakland Athletics' upcoming relocation to Las Vegas.

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