2020s MLB Expansion Watch Thread...

[murksiderock]

Projecting what MLB realignment might look like with expansion on the horizon - The Athletic Projecting what MLB realignment might look like with expansion on the horizon

Raleigh I think has gotten the attention of people who cover expansion conversation, and of people within MLB. It's trailing Nashville right now, but Raleigh has a shot to be the eastern/southern expansion team.

 

[K-Apps]

 

[K-Apps]

This seems fair enough of a realignment imo though I think Salt Lake is in front of Charlotte imo:

 

[murksiderock]

Salt Lake City? Nashville? How six cities are faring in the race for an MLB expansion team

In recent weeks, The Athletic sought progress reports from six cities with established expansion efforts. Here are their plans.

www.nytimes.com

The Athletic/NY Times lists these cities, as it stands today, as highest likelihood of getting an expansion team:

(East)
Nashville
Orlando
Raleigh

(West)
Austin
Portland
Salt Lake

It lists the following five cities as dark horses in the cut:

Charlotte
Montreal

Oakland
San Jose
Vancouver

Raleigh is one of only 3 of the Top 6 potential cities, that currently has billionaire backing and political support. I think its clear that as we all sit here today, Nashville and Salt Lake remain the strongest in position, but for that eastern team, I don't think Nashville is a lock; only that they are in the driver's seat.

 

[FakeNews]

Salt Lake City? Nashville? How six cities are faring in the race for an MLB expansion team

In recent weeks, The Athletic sought progress reports from six cities with established expansion efforts. Here are their plans.

www.nytimes.com

The Athletic/NY Times lists these cities, as it stands today, as highest likelihood of getting an expansion team:

(East)
Nashville
Orlando
Raleigh

(West)
Austin
Portland
Salt Lake

It lists the following five cities as dark horses in the cut:

Charlotte
Montreal

Oakland
San Jose
Vancouver

Raleigh is one of only 3 of the Top 6 potential cities, that currently has billionaire backing and political support. I think its clear that as we all sit here today, Nashville and Salt Lake remain the strongest in position, but for that eastern team, I don't think Nashville is a lock; only that they are in the driver's seat.

It sucks San Jose will never get a team. The A’s to San Jose would have been perfect back in the day

And I feel like Sacramento could have been a strong market but they got bamboozled by a franchise that doesn’t want to be there. So Sacramento never really had a chance from the start

 

[Osmar]

This seems fair enough of a realignment imo though I think Salt Lake is in front of Charlotte imo:

2 expansion teams with 2 of the cheapest teams in the league


it makes sense geography wise but the optics might be bad

 

[Da_Eggman]

Maybe added a few could help with the lack of runs and hitting

 

[Da_Eggman]

2 expansion teams with 2 of the cheapest teams in the league


it makes sense geography wise but the optics might be bad

Minnesota in the south

 

[K-Apps]

 

[Spence]

Why go to Vancouver when Seattle covers that region? Bring baseball back to Montreal where the team has actual support

 

[K-Apps]

Why go to Vancouver when Seattle covers that region? Bring baseball back to Montreal where the team has actual support

Whichever city can get an ownership group to fund a ballpark will get it. Even though Olympic Stadium is beyond , it someone had a plan to massively renovate it, Montreal has the advantage there. BC Place is no longer has the specs to host baseball

 

[Spence]

Whichever city can get an ownership group to fund a ballpark will get it. Even though Olympic Stadium is beyond , it someone had a plan to massively renovate it, Montreal has the advantage there. BC Place is no longer has the specs to host baseball

Exactly
Calgary sure af ain’t supporting no fkn baseball

 

[Spade]

I think mlb does want into North Carolina. That’s a market that is sitting there between Atlanta and DC they would like to have. A second team in Canada makes sense. Probably more Montreal than Vancouver though. I do not see Austin or San Antonio getting one.

 

[Remote]

Nobody would ever want to fly to Vancouver to play baseball.

 

[murksiderock]

Whichever city can get an ownership group to fund a ballpark will get it. Even though Olympic Stadium is beyond , it someone had a plan to massively renovate it, Montreal has the advantage there. BC Place is no longer has the specs to host baseball

Salt Lake has both the ownership and stadium plan, and is the Western frontrunner anyway, though I do think there is gonna be some heavy consideration into whether a 4th major league team oversaturates that market. They've got NBA, MLS, and NHL now. The smallest city with 4 major league teams is Seattle, which is 3x the size of Salt Lake.

It isn't a given that they can support a 4th squad, and thats gonna come up with Nashville, too. They've got NFL, NHL, MLS. They are MLB's #1 choice though, I think has been made clear.

Raleigh, a city with only one major league team and ownership at the ready, can support another team and I think will be heavily considered. So will Portland, which has two teams but is bigger than Salt Lake.

How bad do people in Montreal want baseball to return?

I think mlb does want into North Carolina. That’s a market that is sitting there between Atlanta and DC they would like to have. A second team in Canada makes sense. Probably more Montreal than Vancouver though. I do not see Austin or San Antonio getting one.

Raleigh is becoming a frontrunner. Nashville is still MLB's preferred destination, but I think its gonna be closer than some think for the new Eastern team. Raleigh has momentum too.

Nobody would ever want to fly to Vancouver to play baseball.

They fly there to play soccer and hockey, what's the difference?