Chicago White Sox confirm meeting between Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and Nashville mayor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As the MLB winter meetings neared a conclusion, a report surfaced of a Tuesday meeting between Chicago White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.

The Sox confirmed that a meeting, first reported by Politico, took place. But they are not disclosing the topics discussed.

The future of the Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field has been a subject since an August Crain’s Chicago Business report on the team considering a move from the ballpark when its lease expires after 2029. That report listed a new stadium in the city or suburbs and relocating to Nashville among the possibilities.

Nashville has long been mentioned in speculation as a city to consider if MLB decides on expansion.

Reinsdorf discussed the Crain’s Chicago Business report during a session with reporters in late August.

“Somebody at Crain’s decided he wanted to write that, you’re looking at the Bears (stadium situation), and the White Sox lease has six or seven years left to go, and the White Sox have some options — they might move out of the city, they might move out of town, they might go to Nashville,” Reinsdorf said on Aug. 31. “That wasn’t us, that was a guy at Crain’s. And ever since the article came out, I’ve been reading about that I’ve been threatening to move to Nashville.

“That article didn’t come from me. But it’s obvious, if we have six years left (on the lease), we’ve got to decide: What’s the future going to be? We’ll get to it, but I never threatened to move out. We haven’t even begun to have discussions with the (Illinois) Sports (Facilities) Authority, which we’ll have to do soon.”

The Sox moved into Guaranteed Rate Field, then named new Comiskey Park, in 1991.