3 possible candidates to replace Rob Manfred as MLB commissioner post-retirement
Rob Manfred has been the commissioner of the MLB since 2015 when he took over from Bud Selig. Manfred has made some sweeping changes to the league, making the DH universal, introducing the automatic runner for extra innings, adding the pitch clock, and increasing the size of the bases. He has also seen revenue go up and received the general approval of the owners.
However, Rob Manfred's contract ends in January 2029, and he is going to step away at that point. He is not seeking an extension and will instead hand the reigns over to someone else. Here are some early candidates to take over the position.
Replacement candidates for Rob Manfred as MLB Commissioner
#1) Morgan Sword
Morgan Sword is a good choice for the next commissioner. He is just 39 now, which means he'd be a very young commissioner if he gets into office. That matters for a sport trying to reach a younger audience.
Morgan was influential with rule changes designed to speed up the game and was big in cracking down on pitcher usage of sticky stuff. He's been very successful so far and would make a good addition to the commissioner role after Rob Manfred.
#2) Dan Halem
Dan Halem is currently a deputy commissioner, which means it wouldn't be a major shift to promote him to commissioner. Halem joined the league in 2007 and became the chief labor negotiator for team owners seven years later. That job was originally worked by Manfred.
Halem's career path is very similar to Manfred’s rise to commissioner, so he would be an easy pick to replace the outgoing commissioner.
#3) Noah Garden
After two decades of service to the MLB, Noah Garden was recently promoted to deputy commissioner under Rob Manfred. He is a prime candidate to take over once Manfred leaves. He's 52 but he has been with the league for a while and has steadily moved up, becoming the league’s VP of commerce in December 2017 and the chief revenue officer in August 2020 before landing as a deputy commissioner.