MLB Considers Pete Rose’s Reinstatement After Meeting with Trump

by Lisa Spencer, May 05, 2025

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has spoken with President Trump about Pete Rose and will make a decision regarding lifting Rose’s lifetime ban from baseball. Rose passed away in 2024.

Will Rose Be Reinstated?

Although Pete Rose is no longer here to possibly care, Major League Baseball is considering posthumously reinstating him, which could once again bring attention to his contributions to the sport.

Attorney Jeffrey Lenkov, who represented Pete Rose prior to his death at age 83, submitted a petition in January seeking Rose’s reinstatement, aiming to make him eligible for consideration in baseball’s Hall of Fame.

It is noted that under a rule implemented by the Hall of Fame’s board of directors in 1991, individuals on the permanently ineligible list are not eligible for Hall of Fame induction. On February 28th, President Donald Trump announced on social media his intention to grant Pete Rose a full pardon, stating he would sign it ‘over the next few weeks,’ though he has not commented on the matter since.

There is no timeframe as to when Manfred will make a final decision about Rose being reinstated.

“I met with President Trump two weeks ago, I guess now, and one of the topics was Pete Rose, but I’m not going beyond that. He’s said what he said publicly, I’m not going beyond that in terms of what the back and forth was.”

Manfred told reporters.

Hall of Fame Status is Not Guaranteed

Pete Rose was placed on Major League Baseball’s permanently ineligible list in 1991 following an investigation that found he had bet on Cincinnati Reds games, as well as others between 1985 and 1987. Although Rose maintained his innocence, he accepted a departure from the league and agreed to the ineligible designation, considered the most severe penalty in the sport.

Reinstating Pete Rose would not automatically place him on a Hall of Fame ballot. He would first need to be nominated by the Hall’s Historical Overview Committee, which is selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and approved by the Hall’s board of directors.

If reinstated, Rose could also become eligible for potential inclusion on the ballot considered by the 16-member Classic Baseball Era Committee in December 2027.

The backstory of Pete Rose

Pete Rose, a 17-time All-Star, had 4,256 hits and still holds Major League Baseball records for most games played (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890). He was named the National League MVP in 1973 and was a key contributor to three World Series championship teams.

An investigation found Rose had bet on Cincinnati Reds games between 1985 and 1987 while serving as both a player and manager. In 1989 Major League Baseball issued a lifetime ban, permanently barring him from the sport.

Rose first applied for reinstatement in 1997 and met with Commissioner Bud Selig in November 2002, but Selig never made a decision on the matter. In 2015, Commissioner Rob Manfred formally denied Rose’s request for reinstatement.