D-backs’ Kendrick: MLB commissioner has made it clear baseball will return

Major League Baseball and its players association still have a long way to go in agreeing on terms to return to play as optimism continues to dwindle by the day.

Despite that, Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick said the owners and players have received assurances from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred that baseball will be back this year.

“He’s made it clear to all of us, and he’s now made it clear to the union, that we are going to play,” he told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo Tuesday. “The details of the timing and the circumstances are to be determined. I believe there is going to be baseball.”

That is a surprising proclamation given the amount of ground the two sides appear to need to make up, particularly when it comes to prorated salaries.

Kendrick, though, cited multiple times that the agreement they came to on March 26 includes phrasing that Manfred can use to get things going.

“The way the March agreement was written, the commissioner does have the authority in that agreement to declare the schedule to begin,” he said.

“While there is an argument over the prorated salary portion of that agreement, there isn’t really any potential for argument over the commissioner having that authority given to him both by the owner group and the players association.”

Again, even with all the turbulence reports have indicated, Kendrick thinks baseball makes its return.

“I’m at the place now where I feel strongly there is going to be baseball,” he said.

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