Baseball Manfred: Trump should not impact MLB international plans

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred does not think Donald Trump's election as president will slow the sport's plans to stage more events in Latin America.

Expanding international play has been one of Manfred's goals since succeeding Bud Selig as commissioner in January 2015. San Diego and Houston played a two-game spring training series this year in Mexico City, where the sport opened an office last March and which Manfred has mentioned as a possible expansion site.

Tampa Bay met Cuba's national team in Havana on March 22, the first visit to the island by a big league baseball club since 1999. MLB hopes to establish a process that would allow Cuban residents to sign big league contracts.

"Haven't heard anything with respect to the Cuba issue that would suggest that there's going to be any change, and I think we're all familiar with things he said about Mexico," Manfred said Wednesday at the annual general managers meeting. "I think we need to wait and see what actually happens."

Team executives and agents discussing deals watched election coverage in shock Tuesday night in the Mbar off the central courtyard at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia, some with looks of anguish on their faces.

Manfred opened his news conference by stating: 

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