Portland Sea Dogs Need to Make Renovations to Hadlock Field by 2025

Minor League Baseball is requiring their teams to make upgrades and renovations to their ballparks by 2025, or they could lose their affiliation with Major League Baseball. The Portland Sea Dogs, however, say they don't plan to go anywhere.

According to WMTW, the Sea Dogs would need to renovate their clubhouses. The visiting team's clubhouse is currently in the basement of the Portland Expo next door, where it has been since the Sea Dogs started playing ball in Portland in 1994. If you've ever been to a Sea Dogs game and were anywhere near the right field line near the Expo building, you probably have seen players going to and from the Expo.

It's certainly not convenient for anyone, be it the players or those who would like to use the space for their events at The Expo. The Sea Dogs organization is on it though, and they are working with architects and designers on a plan to get a cost of building new clubhouses at Hadlock, which they think will be in the millions of dollars.

If they are unable to complete the required upgrades by 2025, they would potentially lose their affiliation with the Boston Red Sox. General Manager Jeff Iacuessa told WTMW that leaving isn't even on his radar, and that they are here to stay in Maine.

The City of Portland owns Hadlock Field, but they aren't responsible for upgrades and renovations. The State of Maine may be willing to come to bat for the Sea Dogs (see what I did there?).

There's talk in the Maine Legislature about getting a tax credit for the renovations to make sure that the Sea Dogs stay right where they are.

In the meantime, nothing has changed. This spring, it will be "play ball" at Hadlock, and the Sea Dogs organization is very confident that they'll satisfy the requirements of Minor League Baseball.