Will MLB expand?

[mgwiz22]

The recent news about Montreal looking into getting a major league team led me to consider how that team would be acquired. The Rays franchise has been mentioned in association with this rumor but they seem to have a long term stadium lease. When I think of teams that might move the A's come to mind. Are there other MLB teams that might consider moving? I think expansion by two teams would be a far more likely scenario and that might require realignment of the league into four x four conferences.

[Don Quixote]

The recent news about Montreal looking into getting a major league team led me to consider how that team would be acquired. The Rays franchise has been mentioned in association with this rumor but they seem to have a long term stadium lease. When I think of teams that might move the A's come to mind. Are there other MLB teams that might consider moving? I think expansion by two teams would be a far more likely scenario and that might require realignment of the league into four x four conferences.

I don't see it as of now. Things are going pretty well as is. Montreal has no adequate stadium and a fanbase that is at best fickle and not numerous. I can't think of another city with which to pair it for expansion. Some have suggested New Jersey or Brooklyn, but I can't see the Yankees and/or Mets going along with that (even though the "this area can't support three teams" argument is ludicrous, given history) unless some mammoth payoff is made.

IMO a team move is more likely, but with Tampa Bay locked into its lease, so many other teams in new facilities and locked in, and things looking up for Oakland (maybe a move to another Bay Area city some decade soon?), I don't know who it would be.

[rhd]

I havent heard the news about Montreal wanting another team. Can you provide a link?

Re: another expansion city, Indianapolis seems like a logical candidate, but I havent heard about them wanting a team for a long time. There was some talk of the Indians moving there back in the '80s I think. It is a major city and they already have NFL and NBA teams. The team could play in the Hoosier Dome until a baseball-only facility was built.

I agree that another franchise in the NYC area would be very problematic.

I've always thought that Las Vegas is a viable candidate. Its metropolitan area is still small compared to most MLB cities but it's bigger than some MLB cities already and it's one of the fastest growing areas in the US. The concerns over the high-stakes gambling I think are overblown. I used to travel all over the US w my former job and there are casinos w/i a reasonable driving distance practically everywhere you go. Indian reservation casinos, riverboat casinos, casino boat cruises, and other casinos not fitting any of those categories. Not to mention online gambling. Now most of those have betting limits, unlike Vegas. But how responsible is MLB supposed to be for the off-the-field behavior of its athletes? A lot of these guys already are blowing their fortunes as it is. And if a player really wants to gamble, they're going to do it anyway regardless of how close they are to Vegas. Heck, Vegas is only a 4.5 hour drive or a 45-minute plane ride from LA anyway. The lack of an adequate stadium is a problem tho. Sooner or later there'll be a major team sports franchise in Vegas (maybe the NBA gets one first?). It will be interesting how the new commish feels about this and about expansion in general.

If we had normal relations w Cuba, Havana would be a candidate for a team. It is bigger than most MLB cities, and this would further the goal of internationalizing the game. And it's only 90 miles from the US. The relations between US and Cuba have been thawing for a while, although still a long ways to go.

I dont see a viable MLB city in Mexico, and the recent drug violence there doesnt make the situation any better. I have been to Puerto Rico and the DR and I dont think a MLB franchise in either of those places makes any sense.

[Grinch]

I've always felt the New Orleans would be a great city for a team. Active area, certainly supports their football team.

[madducks]

If we had normal relations w Cuba, Havana would be a candidate for a team. It is bigger than most MLB cities, and this would further the goal of internationalizing the game. And it's only 90 miles from the US. The relations between US and Cuba have been thawing for a while, although still a long ways to go.

The Havana Defectors has a nice ring to it. They could play indoors at the Castrodome.

[rhd]

The Havana Defectors has a nice ring to it. They could play indoors at the Castrodome.

LOL. I'm all for it!

[Fresno Bob]

We could have two teams in cuba

[Grinch]

We could have two teams in cuba

yeah, the IN Cuba is easy..........it's getting OUT that's tough!

[Pogues]

I don't see it as of now. Things are going pretty well as is. Montreal has no adequate stadium and a fanbase that is at best fickle and not numerous. I can't think of another city with which to pair it for expansion. Some have suggested New Jersey or Brooklyn, but I can't see the Yankees and/or Mets going along with that (even though the "this area can't support three teams" argument is ludicrous, given history) unless some mammoth payoff is made.

Charlotte, Louisville, San Antonio and Indianapolis all pop in my head as reasonable choices. But for a league that was thinking contraction less than 10 years ago, expansion seems unlikely.

[Moonlight J]

Good luck convincing 30 owners to give up a share of their money to 2 new teams. Not to mention, we finally have even divisions. If they do anything else, they'd have to go to 2 16 team leagues & a NFL divisional structure

[fuhrdog]

The Havana Defectors has a nice ring to it. They could play indoors at the Castrodome.

Preferably owned by Mark Cuban

[revo]

I don't see it as of now. Things are going pretty well as is. Montreal has no adequate stadium and a fanbase that is at best fickle and not numerous. I can't think of another city with which to pair it for expansion. Some have suggested New Jersey or Brooklyn, but I can't see the Yankees and/or Mets going along with that (even though the "this area can't support three teams" argument is ludicrous, given history) unless some mammoth payoff is made.

IMO a team move is more likely, but with Tampa Bay locked into its lease, so many other teams in new facilities and locked in, and things looking up for Oakland (maybe a move to another Bay Area city some decade soon?), I don't know who it would be.

That would be silliness, and not sure where these "rumors" are from. Not only does Brooklyn border on Queens, but the Brooklyn Cyclones are one of the more successful local minor league teams and have a brand new stadium. It took a decade to get the barclays Center off the ground, so where would a baseball stadium go?

As far as New Jersey, that could make some sense but i believe the Yankees have territorial rights on the area, so good luck with that.

[Erik]

The loyalties are too entrenched for a third team in the NYC area to fly. If a third team had been placed there around the same time as the Mets, that would be one thing, but it would take generations for a new team to get any real traction now.

Central NJ is even more complicated because the Phillies fanbase extends up there too.

[Don Quixote]

There hasn't been much talk about Indianapolis as an expansion/relocation site for a while now. You can be sure that if it comes up, the Reds (just under two hours away) would raise he** about it. They sure did a long time ago when rumor had Columbus (same distance) as a possible site. They'd be even more up in arms if a team was proposed for Louisville, which is where the Reds' AAA team is now.

I'm not sure their whining is entirely without merit, though. The bigger cities around Cincinnati (Columbus, Dayton, Indy, Louisville, Lexington) are crucial to their attendance as well as their overblown ego.

[Don Quixote]

I've always thought that Las Vegas is a viable candidate. Its metropolitan area is still small compared to most MLB cities but it's bigger than some MLB cities already and it's one of the fastest growing areas in the US. The concerns over the high-stakes gambling I think are overblown. I used to travel all over the US w my former job and there are casinos w/i a reasonable driving distance practically everywhere you go. Indian reservation casinos, riverboat casinos, casino boat cruises, and other casinos not fitting any of those categories. Not to mention online gambling. Now most of those have betting limits, unlike Vegas. But how responsible is MLB supposed to be for the off-the-field behavior of its athletes? A lot of these guys already are blowing their fortunes as it is. And if a player really wants to gamble, they're going to do it anyway regardless of how close they are to Vegas. Heck, Vegas is only a 4.5 hour drive or a 45-minute plane ride from LA anyway. The lack of an adequate stadium is a problem tho. Sooner or later there'll be a major team sports franchise in Vegas (maybe the NBA gets one first?). It will be interesting how the new commish feels about this and about expansion in general.

If we had normal relations w Cuba, Havana would be a candidate for a team. It is bigger than most MLB cities, and this would further the goal of internationalizing the game. And it's only 90 miles from the US. The relations between US and Cuba have been thawing for a while, although still a long ways to go.

I dont see a viable MLB city in Mexico, and the recent drug violence there doesnt make the situation any better. I have been to Puerto Rico and the DR and I dont think a MLB franchise in either of those places makes any sense.

Vegas would present a myriad of problems. For one thing, the summer weather is just brutal. When the temperature is 105, it doesn't matter if it's a "dry heat" or not, it's ugly. I went to a 7:05 game there in June, and it was far too toasty (the good variety of good beers at the stadium helped). The 51s play day games on Sundays only and start at noon then, and I don't know how people can handle it. Next, they'd need a brand new stadium. Cashman Field (an ironic name for the home of the Mets' AAA team) is way too small and located in an iffy part of town; the cab driver who drove me there before the game said, "Don't even think of walking to downtown from here after the game". You've addressed the temptation issue--way too much there for guys in their 20s and 30s with tons of money to spend. Finally, there's the gambling issue. IIRC Nevada doesn't allow gambling on any event held in the state, and baseball gambling is big; not NFL big, but big. I'm not sure the sports books could even take season wagers (pennants, World Series) if there was a team in LV.

Havana would be a problem because I doubt that very many people would have the money to go to games. The same goes to Mexico City or other Mexican cities, plus any Mexican location would have the crime issue.