Rob Manfred elected to replace Bud Selig for MLB commissioner

MLB executive Rob Manfred has been chosen to replace the retiring Bud Selig as commissioner early next year.

Manfred, who is currently the chief operating officer, was among the three finalists for the position, which also included Executive VP business Tim Brosnan and Boston Red Sox owner Tom Werner, The New York Times reports.

Ahead of voting, Brosnan decided to pull out of the race, leaving it between Manfred and Werner. The former received 22 votes from owners, leaving him a vote away.

In the end, the 30 owners were able to agree upon Manfred for the position, according to USA Today. He will become commissioner when Selig steps down on Jan. 25, 2015.

"I think it's been a very fair process and very educational," Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno said a day before the vote.

Manfred, who will become the 10th MLB commissioner, has been with the league since 1998, but provided outside legal counsel four years prior during work stoppage. His first order of business will likely be to focus on a new labor agreement since the current one expires Dec. 1, 2016.