Could the Diamondbacks actually leave Arizona?

The ongoing saga surrounding the Arizona Diamondbacks' problems with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors escalated into public bitterness late Tuesday night. Negotiations over a lease extension for Chase Field once again ran into a dilemma over who will pay for what in the future.

With the lease expiring at the end of the 2027 season and no renewal in sight, questions about the team's future are legitimate not only in downtown Phoenix, but across the state.

The team has made several veiled threats that it may move out of state. In February, team owner Ken Kendrick said there were other cities coveting an MLB team and time may be running out for a deal with the county.

Related content: D-backs still far from a stadium deal

President and CEO Derrick Hall recently made the following statement to Sports Business Journal in response to the Arizona Coyotes' relocation and the breaking news that the Utah House of Representatives had approved $900 million to attract a major league team.

“It woke a lot of people up and showed how easily a team can be lured away,” Hall said. “I can't imagine us leaving the area, but When the market is very aggressive, you never know how far they will go to buy a team.”

Chase Field needs hundreds of millions of dollars worth of renovations to remain a major league stadium. In recent years, the roof has become inoperable when fans are in the stands. Because the roof could not be safely closed while fans were in the stands, a rainstorm during a March home opener caused the first rainout in Chase Field's history.

The downtown air cooling system the team relies on is outdated and can no longer keep up with Phoenix's increasingly hot summers.

And these are just some of the problems that are easy to spot. Behind the scenes, millions of dollars are being spent on expensive maintenance and upgrades to plumbing, electrical systems, elevators, etc. that have been stressed beyond their expected use.

And none of these issues even touch on the team's desire for a “modern facility” that includes improved and expanded suites and other amenities for the aging stadium. The team also wants to build an entertainment district in the immediate vicinity of Chase Field, a project that would require hundreds of millions in investment.

A previous legal dispute between the team and the county was settled in 2018. The result of that dispute was that the team would assume the majority of responsibility for maintenance and upkeep in exchange for more control over the facility. But obviously, much of that work was not done. The team did, however, install a new sound and lighting system this past offseason.

After much back-and-forth over the summer, the county recently made a counterproposal that was strongly rejected by the team. In a statement quoted by the Arizona Republic, Hall said the proposal was neither “serious nor logical.” They claim the county is unwilling to provide the team with any support. The team's rejection also brings a personal and political side to the negotiations.

“Truth and fairness are at stake here, and bizarre attacks like this are not the way our partners should do business,” the team said. “It is clear to all that this was a bombshell tactic by a chair who lost his primary and two other outgoing members who will not participate in future talks.”

Derrick Hall, the team's president and CEO, doubled down on his rhetoric on the Bickley and Marotta Show on Arizona Sports 98.7 Thursday morning, saying he sees “no deal in sight.” Watch Hall's full interview in the video below, where he gives his and the team's side of the story.

With no agreement in sight, the two sides miles apart and the clock ticking until the lease expires, what's next for the team, both figuratively and literally?

If there isn't enough money for $500 million in renovations without significant county and taxpayer support, there is definitely not enough funding to build a new $2 billion stadium. The idea of ​​the team using tribal funds to build a stadium and entertainment district on tribal land is unrealistic, as the team would not be willing to give up the stadium revenue it gets at, say, Salt River Fields.

Salt Lake City is certainly a possibility. Big League Utah is just as aggressive an operation as Hall suggested. They are willing to either take on a team that wants to relocate or bring in an expansion franchise.

The D-backs had previously looked at other cities, including Las Vegas, whose announcement made headlines a few years ago before the pandemic. But the Oakland A's have a tentative deal to move to the Las Vegas Strip if they ever get approval for a stadium. In the meantime, they will play in Sacramento.

Other potential MLB expansion cities that could be targets of a relocation initiative include Nashville, Montreal, Charlotte, San Antonio and Portland.

However, it seems unlikely that MLB would allow the Diamondbacks to leave Arizona, at least not without an agreement to relocate or expand with another franchise here in the Valley. The Phoenix metropolitan area is simply too important a market for MLB to abandon.

There remains the possibility that Kendrick and his partners could sell to another company. As unlikely as that may seem, he is 81 years old and will soon celebrate his 85th birthday when the lease expires. If the Diamondbacks can't resolve their stadium issue by early 2025, which is the “deadline” Hall gives in the video below, then all options, including relocation or a franchise sale, could be on the table.