2020s MLB Expansion Watch Thread...
- Thread starter murksiderock
- Start date
Don’t sleep on Austin getting a team. Cali has 4 teams and we are growing at a stupid fast rate. Austin has zero pro sports teams and a huge college following.
Nashville I’m also betting gets a team and they just expand the Sounds stadium, it’s already pretty nice for a AAA stadium.
Would also be nice to have the Angels and Mariners realigned to different regional divisions since AL/NL doesn’t really matter anymore.
murksiderock
Superstar
Since I created this this thread, two huge occurrences have happened:
•Sacramento will host the Athletics for roughly 3 years before the move to Vegas;
•and Salt Lake just landed the NHL Coyotes...
This effectively eliminates Salt Lake from contention as an MLB candidate, as they now have three major league franchises. They'd be far and away the smallest city with four franchises if they land MLB, as the smallest city and market with 4 franchises currently is Seattle. MLB is in the revenue and eyeballs business, they aren't about to take the risk of being the 4th franchise in a market that hasn't yet shown a history to effectively support 3 leagues...
And this effectively shoots Sacramento to the top of the expansion list. The A's will be playing at a field owned by the Kings' owners, so MLB already knows there's a built-in ownership group that can afford a franchise, if awarded one. Also, with this Vegas move on perpetually shaky ground, Sac can really show out these next several years. Either the A's still go to Vegas and we end up with an expansion team, or the Vegas move completely disintegrates and we inherit the A's...
Sacramento is in a really, really good position, probably should be seen as a favorite right now...
•Sacramento will host the Athletics for roughly 3 years before the move to Vegas;
•and Salt Lake just landed the NHL Coyotes...
This effectively eliminates Salt Lake from contention as an MLB candidate, as they now have three major league franchises. They'd be far and away the smallest city with four franchises if they land MLB, as the smallest city and market with 4 franchises currently is Seattle. MLB is in the revenue and eyeballs business, they aren't about to take the risk of being the 4th franchise in a market that hasn't yet shown a history to effectively support 3 leagues...
And this effectively shoots Sacramento to the top of the expansion list. The A's will be playing at a field owned by the Kings' owners, so MLB already knows there's a built-in ownership group that can afford a franchise, if awarded one. Also, with this Vegas move on perpetually shaky ground, Sac can really show out these next several years. Either the A's still go to Vegas and we end up with an expansion team, or the Vegas move completely disintegrates and we inherit the A's...
Sacramento is in a really, really good position, probably should be seen as a favorite right now...
murksiderock
Superstar
What economic experts predict for A's pending Las Vegas move
Economic experts expressed their skepticism that the Athletic’s potential move to Las Vegas will happen.
www.nbcsportsbayarea.com
This team is either staying in Sacramento or will find a way back to Oakland. That Vegas move ain't happening...
What economic experts predict for A's pending Las Vegas move
Economic experts expressed their skepticism that the Athletic’s potential move to Las Vegas will happen.
This team is either staying in Sacramento or will find a way back to Oakland. That Vegas move ain't happening...
It was a bad look from the start.
MLB is better off fixing the mess that’s Oakland before considering expansion. Plenty of bad teams need repair, like Miami and then you have teams like the Mets who have money to spend and they still suck.
Figure out how to get the Expos back even tho their stadium situation is looking iffy because they’d need a better place to play since Olympic stadium is always under some kind of construction, it’s old and that roof sucks.
Meanwhile, find a Ballmer type to buy the A’s and invest in them.
murksiderock
Superstar
That Ballmer type gonna be Ranadive, the Sacramento Kings owner, if Fisher is ever forced, or chooses, to sell...
And yes the Vegas move was always a terrible proposition. I don't think it's outta the ballpark that they find their way back to Oakland some kinda way, but that move to Vegas is 50/50 at best right now...
I think either they end up in Oakland at the end of these 4 years, and Sac ends up with the West Coast MLB expansion team, or by the end of the 4 years the A's become the Sacramento Athletics permanently...
Unless the Yankees or the dodgers moved to Vegas I don’t think MLB is going to work out there and not with the stigma that the A’s are drenched in. The amount of hype the team would need — and can’t get — is massive.
And if the team gets sold they need a celeb and/or well known ex player attached to the ownership group just so people care. Meanwhile who the hell knows what their farm system looks like so the team wouldn’t be competitive for a while.
Nashville. Rumor was (and it's bullshyt) that the Sox was gonna relocate but they'll get their own team
murksiderock
Superstar
With Raleigh Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon buying the Portland Trail Blazers, watch for a play coming within the next half-decade...
Both cities of Raleigh and Portland have publicly lobbied for an MLB expansion franchise in recent years. Dundon has led the way in fronting Raleigh's bid for a few years, and has famously said that "money aint a thang".
I gotta believe that he views having ownership in two MLB-hopeful cities put him in the driver seat. As of today his spokespeople say he is still pushing the Raleigh MLB bid, and as of this summer, Nashville and Salt Lake are viewed as the two most likely MLB expansion cities (similar to how Seattle and Vegas are viewed as the two most likely NBA expansion cities).
But watch a curveball coming. Dundon owns two franchises in competing markets for MLB. He's gonna get MLB to one of these cities, watch for it.
Both cities of Raleigh and Portland have publicly lobbied for an MLB expansion franchise in recent years. Dundon has led the way in fronting Raleigh's bid for a few years, and has famously said that "money aint a thang".
I gotta believe that he views having ownership in two MLB-hopeful cities put him in the driver seat. As of today his spokespeople say he is still pushing the Raleigh MLB bid, and as of this summer, Nashville and Salt Lake are viewed as the two most likely MLB expansion cities (similar to how Seattle and Vegas are viewed as the two most likely NBA expansion cities).
But watch a curveball coming. Dundon owns two franchises in competing markets for MLB. He's gonna get MLB to one of these cities, watch for it.
The War Report
NewNewYork
Do we really need more baseball teams? A lot of the teams we already have are glorified minor league teams.
the next guy
Superstar
They need new fans, period.
Right, get rid of the Yankees New York only needs one team
Professor K.
rap game Paul Millsap
We need better baseball owners. Whoever gets these teams immediately jumps ahead of the Pirates/A's/Rays/Marlins/etc who don't want to spend any money or particularly care about winning. Them coming in with a fire under their ass to make good on their investment would be the best thing possible for the league