Maricopa County on Friday asked the Superior Court to dismiss an Arizona Diamondbacks lawsuit seeking permission for the team to leave Chase Field if the county doesn't fund tens of millions of dollars in stadium repairs.
The county asked the court to instead send the matter to out-of-court arbitration.
"The county and its taxpayers made a deal with the Diamondbacks: we will build you a stadium, and you promise to play in it through the 2027 baseball season," Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Denny Barney said in a written statement. "We believe the Diamondbacks are a great asset to the community.