The Diamondbacks are still in the process of figuring out their long-term home. One of the options on the table is to renew the lease at Chase Field, which expires after the 2027 MLB season. However, they’ve found that to be a fruitless negotiation so far. Appearing on Bickley & Marrotta on Thursday, Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall talked about a “ridiculous” counterproposal from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for a 50-year lease renewal.
“The fact they went public with it, I don’t understand it. For quite some time, I’ve used words such as encouraging and optimistic. Those words are gone and it’s sad. They decided to go public with this rather than do what we’ve done all along, quietly, privately, and respectfully. You go from attorney to attorney, it stays confidential. They then send us a response, and a counter, and make it public and it goes into the media. That’s just their side of the situation.”
Hall is perplexed by the decision for them to go public with their offer, slammed the offer, then called out the Board of Supervisors for “not having the desire or ability to put any money in their own building”.
“Here they are, asking us to sign a 50-year extension without any public funding at the time that we’re trying to seek through tax recollection, which is very realistic, and still asking us nonetheless to not even pursue mixed use, which we’ve said all along we need with restaurants, hotel, retail around the ballpark. They say they won’t allow us to ‘unlock that opportunity’ until we put $200 million into the ballpark and they’re not putting in a penny. All of that is what is so offensive here, and it’s really sad because their approach has taken any wind out of our sails and for the community, and it’s put it on display.”
The tax recollection mechanism that Hall is referring to is one similar to the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, which funds the maintenance and upkeep of State Farm Stadium.
Hall added he doesn’t see a deal with the county in sight with the current board composition. Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers lost his primary race and has two more outgoing members, who Hall noted as friends in his appearance. With that in mind, there will be a 60% change on the board and nowhere close to a deal, talks have stalled.
While there are three more guaranteed seasons of Diamondbacks baseball in Phoenix, the time to reach a deal is quickly running out. Asked if there was a timeframe for moving onto Plan B, Hall indicated it would be the early part of 2025. If no deal is reached by the end of the 2027 season, then there is a nonzero possibility of them leaving Phoenix. Hall says the urgency to strike a public-private partnership is “stronger than ever”.
