MLB notes: Commissioner list down to three

Commissioner Bud Selig expects baseball owners to vote next week from a list of three candidates for his successor.

“Yes, there will be a vote in Baltimore,” Selig said Wednesday, referring to the owners’ meeting next week.

Selig said the seven-member panel appointed earlier this year, and headed by St. Louis Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., worked independently to get to this point.

“I told them at the time that the job was theirs because, after all, they have to live with the commissioner. I’m going to be gone,” said Selig, who is retiring in January.

“I’ve been very well-informed and briefed and so forth, but they’ve been independent and they’ve come up with this list on their own, and I’m grateful for that. They did what I asked them to do.”

The reported finalists for the job are Rob Manfred, MLB’s chief operating officer; Tim Brosnan, MLB’s executive vice president for business and Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner.

When asked about those names, Selig said “the list is accurate.”

The commissioner has refrained from publicly endorsing anyone as his replacement after 22 years on the job.

Selig planned later Wednesday to visit the Rangers’ ballpark in nearby Arlington on his tour of the 30 franchises.

“I’ve been so busy and things have been so hectic that I haven’t really had a chance to focus on (pending retirement). Next November, December and January, I’m sure I’ll do a lot of that,” Selig said.

Indians plan remodel

The Indians plan an extensive renovation of Progressive Field over the next two years, remodeling the 20-year-old downtown ballpark to better connect with their fans.

The club intends to make interior and exterior modifications to the area stretching from center to right field.

The changes will require a modest reduction in seats, which the team will offset by the addition of social areas to accommodate fans.

Clearing the bases

The San Diego Padres have hired A.J. Preller as general manager, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. … The National Baseball Hall of Fame is teaming with IMAX, Major League Baseball and other partners for a national traveling exhibit featuring historical artifacts from the Cooperstown museum and state-of-the-art interactive digital media.