Next Round of MLB Expansion Thread - Nashville, Portland, Salt Lake, Charlotte, Montreal, Orlando all on radar

[Make Angels Great Again]

Just looks like a big sperm to me

[Make Angels Great Again]

Top paged!

[Taylor]

1 hour ago, Revad said:

Sort of makes me think of a giant greenhouse.  

That's basically what Florida is.

[Taylor]

1 hour ago, Make Angels Great Again said:

Just looks like a big sperm to me

That's what I think when I see this:

[Tank]

i like the pretty drawings for orlando, but the reality is that there are already two teams in florida that are poorly supported. no need to create a third one.

[Second Base]

1 hour ago, Tank said:

i like the pretty drawings for orlando, but the reality is that there are already two teams in florida that are poorly supported. no need to create a third one.

Agreed. Regardless of politics and funding, there really doesn't need to be a third team in Florida. I'm confident that a team in Tennessee would be strongly supported, but beyond that, it's a lot of "maybe." Maybe a team in Oregon or Utah would be. It reasonable that a team in the Carolinas would be, they love the game there, but do they have the population? Maybe Montreal would draw again because of nostalgia. 

[arch stanton]

I think Montreal would do very well with a good venue and being put in a position to compete directly with the Blue Jays

[T.G.]

The idea that Orlando is even a consideration is absurd.

[InternetHobo]

On 5/4/2023 at 3:39 PM, Second Base said:

I don't have a problem with Portland having an MLB team. Yeah, the population is strange and seemingly unhappy, and yes, they have had some pretty gnarly riots, but the town loves baseball. 

The problem with Portland is going to be convincing the population to increase taxes to the point where they can raise 3-4 billion it will require to build the ballpark at Terminal 2. I just don't see it happening at all. 

Conversely, Nashville already has community support, a site picked out and an agreement in place to follow through on a plan to fund a state of the art stadium similar to Texas and Atlanta's area (whole venues, not just stadium) at 1.2 billion, which is supported by local government. 

Really at this point, when expansion happens, it's going to be Nashville as one, and whoever else for two. 

Late response to this post, so forgive me...

In response to Nashville, it's not as much of a slam dunk as everyone seems to think it is. While the idea of an MLB expansion team is seen as being generally positive and supported in Nashville, it's NOT supported by local government. Actually, local government has downplayed the idea of bringing an MLB franchise to Middle Tennessee. Nashville is currently on the hook for maintenance costs of the Bridgestone Arena (NHL), Nissan Stadium (NFL), First Horizon Park (AAA), GEODIS Park (MLS), Municipal Auditorium (Exhibition Hall), and the Metro-Nashville Centennial Sportsplex (recreational sports complex.) In the case of Bridgestone Arena, it's approaching 30 years of age and will be in need of major renovation or replacement. In the case of Nissan Stadium, the City has defaulted on maintenance payments due to the NFL's Titans every year since 2020.

When the Titans asked the city of Nashville to contribute $500 million towards their new stadium, the city told them no. If the State of Tennessee hadn't stepped in and pledged the $500 million towards the new stadium, we'd be talking about the Titans making relocation threats.

The Nashville Stars ownership group, which consists of at least 50 people by now, originally had a plan to get a stadium built just south of where the current Nissan Stadium sits, but the city was uninterested in helping to make that happen. The Nashville Stars ownership group has since decided to privately fund a stadium in North Nashville in probably the most undesirable place that a stadium could be placed in Nashville, on the campus of Tennessee State University.

Tennessee State University is a HBCU located in one of the worst neighborhoods in Nashville. As an alumni of TSU, I can say, sadly, that the overwhelming majority of Nashville households will be unwilling to travel into North Nashville to watch night games at that site. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of games are during week nights.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that the Nashville Stars ownership group are going to be able to raise the $2 billion dollar expansion fee as well as the $1.2-$1.5 billion it's going to take to build a stadium, as well as having the capital to field a full roster of players. Will MLB even allow them to have so many owners?

I think MLB is going to have a hard time finding multi-billionaires to not only pay $2 billion for an expansion franchise, but also find jurisdictions that are willing to build stadiums with public money.

Portland has talked about building a stadium with private funds. Nashville has talked about building a stadium with private funds. To date, the only MLB expansion locations that have even mentioned public funding is Salt Lake City and Orlando.

In Charlotte, the city is currently discussing the possibility of giving the Panthers $1.2 billion dollars to renovate their stadium, so I doubt that they'd be willing to fork over ANOTHER $1.5 billion for an MLB stadium.

Montreal had all but refused to give any public money when the idea of the Rays "sister-city" plan had been discussed, so I doubt that they're an option either. 

At this point, I'd assume that you're likely going to see two locations that you wouldn't have thought of initially.

I'm going to guess either San Antonio or Austin and Oakland.

San Antonio has been begging for another professional sports franchise and has been willing to spend public money for a new stadium. They even still have the Alamodome as a temporary venue.

Oakland, even though they're losing the A's, have been able to source over $400 million dollars for a new stadium and similarly to San Antonio, they still have the Coliseum to use as a temporary venue, even if it IS a dilapidated hole in the ground. 

[mmc]

 

[Second Base]

And offensive environment that would make the Rockies blush. 

[ScottT]

It's too bad the city of Anaheing is so fucked up.  And the state of Caulifornia

[Taylor]

17 minutes ago, Second Base said:

And offensive environment that would make the Rockies blush. 

Really? SLC is 1,000 feet lower elevation than Denver.

[Inside Pitch]

On 2/16/2024 at 12:49 AM, Taylor said:

Really? SLC is 1,000 feet lower elevation than Denver.

He may be making reference to the crazy winds that hit the AAA park.  That place is a trip.

[Taylor]

34 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

He may be making reference to the crazy winds that hit the AAA park.  That place is a trip.

They could put the stadium right next to the Great Salt Lake, with a short distance to the RF fence. And call it the water where the home run balls land "McPolygamy Cove."

[Vegas Halo Fan]

The idea has been floated of Fisher selling  the A's to local ownership and building the Howard Terminal ballpark and putting an expansion team in Las Vegas.

[FromJapan]

 

[Amazing Larry]

On 2/17/2024 at 7:52 PM, Vegas Halo Fan said:

The idea has been floated of Fisher selling  the A's to local ownership and building the Howard Terminal ballpark and putting an expansion team in Las Vegas.

You guys would be better off with an expansion team IMO. Look how well the Knights have flourished.

[Inside Pitch]

19 minutes ago, Lhalo said:

You guys would be better off with an expansion team IMO. Look how well the Knights have flourished.

The rough part about MLB expansion teams is probably the need for infrastructure (farm systems).  Getting that talent pool rolling and generating the depth necessary to compete is just rough.  Its good they will get to raid established farm systems but teams have fewer ways of acquiring players these days considering the changes to the draft and the money they can spend internationally.

Wonder if they would let the expansion teams draft an additional 10+ players for a couple years before and after coming into the league to try to give them a head start.

[Jeremiah]

1 hour ago, Lhalo said:

You guys would be better off with an expansion team IMO. Look how well the Knights have flourished.

Oh, that is 100% what would be preferred here. The Knights have been wholly embraced from the jump, and being winners right away didn’t hurt. The Raiders have had a bit more of a lukewarm warm success. It’s the NFL, so it’ll always do well, but I still see plenty of gear from other teams worn by the locals, and plenty of the folks I work with go to the games to root for the other team. There seems to be almost no interest in the A’s moving here, especially now that Adam Silver has talked about an expansion NBA team here.

[HeavenlyHalos]

One thing I was reading regarding expansion is that MLB then might have four divisions in each league of 4 teams. If they want to add one in the East (Nashville seems most likely) and one in the West (Portland or Utah) I wonder what the new AL would look like? Maybe they introduce an AL South with Texas, Nashville, Houston, and Tampa? Will Tampa even have a team at this point or will they relocate? The AL West could become the Angels, Seattle, Portland/Utah, and wherever the A's land with one team in the Central going to the NL? Perhaps the Royals move from the Central to the South and Nashville is in the NL? It will be real interesting to see what happens after the dust settles on expansion and whatever the hell A's become. 

[Amazing Larry]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

The rough part about MLB expansion teams is probably the need for infrastructure (farm systems).  Getting that talent pool rolling and generating the depth necessary to compete is just rough.  Its good they will get to raid established farm systems but teams have fewer ways of acquiring players these days considering the changes to the draft and the money they can spend internationally.

Wonder if they would let the expansion teams draft an additional 10+ players for a couple years before and after coming into the league to try to give them a head start.

I dunno. It only took the Marlins 4 years to win the WS.

[Amazing Larry]

8 minutes ago, HeavenlyHalos said:

One thing I was reading regarding expansion is that MLB then might have four divisions in each league of 4 teams. If they want to add one in the East (Nashville seems most likely) and one in the West (Portland or Utah) I wonder what the new AL would look like? Maybe they introduce an AL South with Texas, Nashville, Houston, and Tampa? Will Tampa even have a team at this point or will they relocate? The AL West could become the Angels, Seattle, Portland/Utah, and wherever the A's land with one team in the Central going to the NL? Perhaps the Royals move from the Central to the South and Nashville is in the NL? It will be real interesting to see what happens after the dust settles on expansion and whatever the hell A's become. 

It would be great if The Astros GTFO of our division.

[DCAngelsFan]

On 5/9/2023 at 5:15 PM, Revad said:

Sort of makes me think of a giant greenhouse.  

What an awesome experience, it'll be 120 degrees, 100% humidity, reek of alcohol flop-sweat (Nashville is worse than Vegas for binge-drinking) and BO, and you just know that someday, someone will be crushed by a falling sheet of polycarbonate ... 

Nashville is "next" but needs to find a better architect.  

[BTH]

Give me realignment that puts the Angels in a division with the A’s, Rockies, and an expansion team in Utah.

What we’ll get instead: Dodgers, Padres, and Giants.

Edited February 21 by BTH