Commissioner Rob Manfred sees expansion in MLB's future

[gotbeer]

Commissioner Rob Manfred sees expansion in MLB's future

 

[Blarg]

Not unless they can recruit better athletes to play the game. Currently the parity is worse than the NFL where we scrape the bottom of the talent bowl to field 25 guys competent enough to put on their cleats.

[ELEVEN]

Put an expansion team in Cuba then.

[tomsred]

Montreal is a nice city,.....oh wait!

[Blarg]

Arte will finally be able to realize his dream and move the team to Mexico City.

[tdawg87]

Put an expansion team in San Jose for the lulz

[Angel Oracle]

Rolls eyes at Manfred.

[Pujols4MVP]

Canadian citys: Vancouver. Montreal. Ottawa. Edmonton. Calgary.

American citys: Portland, OR. Las Vegas, NV. Memphis, TN. San Antonio, TX.

 

More teams = easier pitchers for Trout to hit HRs off of.

Edited July 15, 2015 by MikeScioscia4MVP

[Pujols4MVP]

Not unless they can recruit better athletes to play the game. Currently the parity is worse than the NFL where we scrape the bottom of the talent bowl to field 25 guys competent enough to put on their cleats.

 

but then Trout might be able to have a 60 HR season hitting HRs off pitchers that belong in Single A.

Edited July 15, 2015 by MikeScioscia4MVP

[ELEVEN]

He's gonna hit 50 as it is

[Hollyw00d]

Why?

[RallyMo]

I'd kill for a stadium in San Antonio. Indoors, please.

[Second Base]

Expansion in our current era isn't necessary.  Relocation however, may be entirely necessary.  I'd like to see the A's possibly move up toward Portland, which could definitely house a major league team.  It's beautiful and all sorts of weird up there.  The population is pretty proud of their city and I think a professional baseball team would be well-supported.  It'd also create a natural rivalry with the Mariners, who deserve a rival. 

 

The Rays, I'd like to see go international.  Mexico City would be sold out every night.  Montreal takes pride in their teams.  Just throwing this out there, but if we really are entering a new era of openness with Cuba then I'd suggest putting a baseball team there.  Fans would go nuts, definite sellouts seen in that future. 

 

Other than that, the only thing I see on the horizon which should happen within our lifetimes is an international draft, and the ability to trade draft picks. That'd be the right kind of expansion. 

[gotbeer]

Biggest problem with Cuba is no money.  I think that might be the biggest detriment to Mexico also.  

 

On paper it sounds great.  But when the fans you need to make it happen are probably making 10 cents an hour in Cuba and a dollar in Mexico, it'll be hard to support a team with a min of $70-80 million.  Even the local TV deals probably won't relate well there.  

[maximus p]

Don't think we need another east coast team.  32 teams, 4 divisions in each league.  Portland and ???.  I doubt Mexico because of the cartels.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I know just the place for the ballpark.

[Chimi]

Move the A's to Portland and the Rays to New Orleans, Charlotte, or Nashville.

[Erstad Grit]

Puerto Rico would be cool, ask Juan Rivera.

 

A MLB team(s) somewhere in between Ca and CO would be cool. 

[gotbeer]

Canadian citys: Vancouver. Montreal. Ottawa. Edmonton. Calgary.

American citys: Portland, OR. Las Vegas, NV. Memphis, TN. San Antonio, TX.

 

More teams = easier pitchers for Trout to hit HRs off of.

 

Salt Lake City?  

[LAA Road Tripper]

Biggest problem with Cuba is no money. I think that might be the biggest detriment to Mexico also.

On paper it sounds great. But when the fans you need to make it happen are probably making 10 cents an hour in Cuba and a dollar in Mexico, it'll be hard to support a team with a min of $70-80 million. Even the local TV deals probably won't relate well there.

Concur. It serves MLB well to float the idea of Monterey and Mexico City much the same way London works for the NFL but there are too many financial and logistical reasons why it won't happen. My guess is if expansion happens - and I don't see it happening soon - it would be in Montreal and Portland. 32 is a nice round number that, again, works well for football and could do so as well for baseball. It would eliminate the necessity of having an inter-league series every day, too, which is another benefit as I see it. Edited July 15, 2015 by LAA Road Tripper

[Pujols4MVP]

Salt Lake City?  

 

Yeah that would be good too. Like someone else suggested: New Orleans, Charlotte(NC), Puerto Rico.

[ELEVEN]

Biggest problem with Cuba is no money. I think that might be the biggest detriment to Mexico also.

On paper it sounds great. But when the fans you need to make it happen are probably making 10 cents an hour in Cuba and a dollar in Mexico, it'll be hard to support a team with a min of $70-80 million. Even the local TV deals probably won't relate well there.

Discount buyers.

[nate]

Expansion sucks.  Sucks for the NHL too.  Hate diluting the talent pool.

[Pujols4MVP]

It seems if there were more teams the big stars would stand out more, all the top hitters & pitchers would benefit from having weaker competition to play against.  Todays average players would improve, the below average would now look like average players.

 

MLB wants to see Trout & Harper go in the Hall of Fame someday, this increases their odds if they add more teams instead of relocating a few.

[Mark68]

There are certainly financial considerations to any expansion or relocation. If we're talking about the top contenders, such as Montreal, Portland, and Charlotte, new facilities would have to be in place, and in Montreal & Portland, they would each have to have a retractable roof. That can be really expensive, and I'm sure MLB would make it a point that the stadiums would have to be at least partially publicly financed...so, yay, more corporate welfare.

 

Portland & Seattle would be a natural rivalry, as would Charlotte & Atlanta and Montreal & Toronto.

 

I guess best case scenario would be for the Rays to move to Charlotte & the A's to move to Portland...but then you'd have lame duck seasons much like the Expos did when they played half their games in San Juan, while the new facilities are being built in Portland & Charlotte.