In the midst of one of the best seasons in franchise history, the Baltimore Orioles made a massive announcement during Thursday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
The announcement? Orioles ownership and the State of Maryland have reached an agreement to keep the franchise in Baltimore for the next 30 years.
BREAKING: The Baltimore Orioles have reached a deal with the state of Maryland that keeps the team at Camden Yards for at least 30 years, according to an announcement after the third inning of Thursday night’s game against Boston. https://t.co/isiKvDOc97
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 28, 2023
The Orioles’ lease was set to expire at the end of this year and it was unclear what the future of the team would be, but Orioles owner John Angelos and Maryland Governor Wes Moore put any worries to bed with their video announcement. The two also appeared on the video board as Moore was in Angelos’ suite following the announcement.
It’s unclear what the deal entails. The state was offering $600 million for upgrades to Camden Yards and the surrounding areas, but Angelos had requested $900 million.
Either way, it’s a positive for the city of Baltimore and Major League Baseball as a whole to be able to keep the Orioles in the city they’ve called home since 1954 when they moved from St. Louis.
The Orioles are close to winning the AL East for the first time since 2014 and just the third time since Camden Yards opened in 1992. With a very young group of hitters, they seem to be lined up for success for years to come.
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