Arizona Diamondbacks strike deal with county over Chase Field

Maricopa County has struck a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks over Chase Field that allows the team to immediately begin looking for another home if it drops a lawsuit arguing the county should pay $187 million in repairs, The Arizona Republic has learned.

Under the preliminary agreement, the Diamondbacks would be allowed to start looking for a new place to play immediately.

If the team found a location in Maricopa County, the team could leave Chase Field without penalty in 2022, five years earlier than the team's current contract. If the new stadium was built on tribal land, the team would pay the same taxes as currently charged at Chase Field.

If the Major League Baseball team decided to leave Arizona after 2022, it would have to pay penalties of between $5 million and $25 million.

An even broader "out" clause is included, which county leaders said they agreed to reluctantly.

"In the event the MLB requires the Team to leave Arizona because of the condition of the stadium, the Team may do so without penalty or other payments if all parties have acted in good faith," the agreement reads.

Maricopa County Board Chairman Steve Chucri, R-Paradise Valley, said he does not believe the league would move the team. He said the county would sue if it did.

"It's a risk. But it's incredibly unlikely," he said. "There are far worse stadiums" that the MLB hasn't required teams to leave, he said, so yanking the Diamondbacks would be bad faith.

MLB's commissioner and the Diamondbacks have threatened to leave in the past. Chucri said he believed it was a negotiating tactic.

What are the terms of the deal?

The Diamondbacks sued Maricopa County in 2017, seeking to break the team's 30-year lease to look for another home. The lawsuit argued the county had not saved enough money to keep Chase Field in good condition.

The county said it had enough money for structural repairs but would not pay for cosmetic upgrades like suite renovations that were the responsibility of the team.

The lawsuit went nowhere for months until a judge ordered the two sides into private mediation, which produced the preliminary agreement.

Under the deal, the team would take control of stadium maintenance and be allowed to spend $35 million in repair money on a new scoreboard, air conditioning equipment and other items were previously were in dispute. The team also could receive up to $20 million from the county at the end of the contract as reimbursement for repairs.

The team also would take over booking concerts and events from Scottsdale-based event manager Select Artists Associates. Any net revenue would be dedicated to repairs.

In return, the county would be released from any obligation to pay for further repairs and would maintain ownership of the land in downtown Phoenix, which county leaders said could be redeveloped if the team leaves.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will meet Monday to seek public input and are expected to vote in one week on whether to finalize the agreement.

Owner: 'Best opportunity' for D-Backs to stay in Arizona

Team majority owner Ken Kendrick struck an optimistic tone.

"We are hopeful that this proposed memorandum of understanding will lead to the end of the long, arduous negotiation regarding Chase Field," he said in a written statement. "We believe this will provide the best opportunity for the D-backs to remain in Arizona for the long term. Our primary focus remains the team on the field and providing our fans with the best experience in all of baseball."

Chucri, Gates helped broker deal with team

Chucri said the deal sweeps away the cloud of litigation and conflict that has darkened the relationship between the county and team for years.

"This proposal is the art of compromise to ensure baseball can be celebrated in Arizona into the future, to ensure the taxpayer is protected and ... for the county to not be in the stadium business any longer," Chucri said.

"I see this as a turning of the page," said Supervisor Bill Gates, R-Phoenix, who along with Chucri helped broker the deal with the team. "I think we're going to see a positive relationship going forward if this is successful."

Supervisor Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, said he is worried about the impact on downtown businesses and neighborhoods if the county releases the team from its contract early.

He criticized the "fast-tracking" of the agreement.

"This is a document I myself had barely read on Monday," he said. "You have to give ample time for the community to respond. ... We need to slow this down. We need to think this through. This is too big of a decision to make in just one week."

He also wants to hear from Mayor Greg Stanton and city officials, whom he said had not yet been briefed.

Stanton said he was reviewing the agreement and would comment after a council meeting Wednesday.

Supervisor Clint Hickman, R-Litchfield Park, said he is keeping an open mind.

"There are some things I have to look harder into," he said. "I am hopeful to learn a lot about how the county taxpayer views this MOU."

Supervisor Denny Barney, R-Gilbert, said he supported the agreement because it's clear the Diamondbacks don't intend to stay at Chase Field past the end of the current contract in 2027.

"Our goal is to find a solution that keeps the Diamondbacks playing baseball in Maricopa County," he said. "This allows them to have a little bit of flexibility to look at other possibilities."

Read the deal

How to weigh in

The public meeting on the proposal is Monday at 1 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Auditorium at 205 W. Jefferson St.

The public can also weigh in by emailing stadiumcomments@mail.maricopa.gov or by calling 602-506-2255 (506-BALL).

Final comments from the public will be taken 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Board of Supervisors Auditorium at 205 W. Jefferson St. before the supervisors vote.