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The Milwaukee Brewers play in the smallest media market in Major League Baseball. So the franchise already has one big strike against it.
Now the team has another problem on their hands.
It has to find financing for $448 million in long-term renovations at their ballpark, American Family Field, or risk MLB moving the team to another city.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is expected to deliver this message to the Brewers on Thursday when he visits Milwaukee.
A Brewers representative declined to comment. But the source, who asked not to be named, said Manfred is planning a news conference at American Family Field because of concerns MLB officials have about funding for the ballpark.
[Gov. Tony] Evers, a Democrat, in February proposed providing state cash for long-term renovations at American Family Field.
Republicans who control the Legislature rejected Evers’ proposal but have been negotiating a separate deal that has yet to be unveiled.
American Family Field, which opened in 2001 after some serious construction issues (three iron workers were killed when a giant crane collapsed), is a publicly owned ballpark and is leased to the Brewers.
The Brewers’ lease with the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Park District runs through the end of 2030.
All major capital repairs and renovations done to the stadium are the park district’s responsibility.
Should the state pony up the $448 million for the repairs and renovations, the Brewers are said to be willing to extend the lease to the end of 2043.
Wisconsin legislators want the lease to be extended even further into the future if the funding is approved.
Despite it being the smallest market in Major League Baseball, since 2006 (minus the pandemic year) the Brewers have had over 2.3 million in attendance, crossing the 3 million mark in three of those years.