MLB expansion

[DCTribefan]

Rob Manfred’s $8 Billion MLB Expansion Catch-22

Commissioner Rob Manfred has said he sees MLB as a growth industry. But the entry costs in a league expansion would be enormous, and for the league's current owners, the upside of huge expansion fees is tempered by the prospect of diluted central funds.

www.forbes.com

So Manfred has a catch-22 on his hands: Expanding the league will bring a one-time lump sum, along with two new heavily leveraged ownership groups and diluted centralized revenues. And none of this deals with the thorny issue of clubs encroaching on two or more current television territories. Remember when the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos threatened to sue the league if there wasn’t some form of indemnification? If the league needs 75% of the owners to approve expansion, you can almost assuredly start with the owners who claim a particular expansion candidate market as part of their television territory to vote no. In some locations, like Las Vegas, six clubs claim the market.

 

[sportscoach]

We would also have the restructure the divisions and whatnot around baseball, but this could allow a playoff expansion (6 teams 4 division winners with seeds one and two getting first round byes. First round would be 3-5 games) then to the normal 5-7-7.

Would then get the ball parks of some of the minor league teams that were lost, able to get some teams again etc. Expanding is actually good for baseball in my mind, but with the new bargaining agreement coming up, I wonder if we can avoid a strike with all the topics needing to be discussed

 

[KilgoreTrout]

MLB should be thinking CONTRACTION, not EXPANSION. Contract the Marlins and Rockies, as they are abominations.

 

[avs2000]

MLB should be thinking CONTRACTION, not EXPANSION. Contract the Marlins and Rockies, as they are abominations.

Franchises need the cash from expansion fees cuz of covid.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Franchises need the cash from expansion fees cuz of covid.

I’m sure they DO. But it is still stupid, and the Marlins shouldn’t exist. They should be declared to never have existed, and we should retroactively be given the 1997 World Championship.

 

[sportscoach]

I’m sure they DO. But it is still stupid, and the Marlins shouldn’t exist. They should be declared to never have existed, and we should retroactively be given the 1997 World Championship.

Marlins won the 97 and 2003 World Series... Last year was the first time they lost a playoff series in franchise history and they aren't a weak team honestly. I don't think your personal hate of a team would have any effect on things from the MLB level lol

 

[PPark]

The league needs to restructure revenue (local and national) and then expand. The pathway on revenue was delineated two decades ago but the owners have been playing games since to the detriment to their product.

As far as expansion goes I favor two leagues, 32 teams, 8 divisions. Cleveland would fall into the NL North with the Reds, Tigers, and Pirates.

150 game 25 week regular season with a expanded post season culminating in a 7 game World Series.

 

[Peachtree]

I'm having a hard time seeing where expansion makes sense. A third NY team in Brooklyn? Austin? Montreal redux? Aren't the Mariners going to fight Portland?

Before one of the suburban counties caved and built Truist Park in Metro Atlanta, they flirted hard with NC/Charlotte. I almost wonder if RDU would get an expansion team before Charlotte because it's so engrained as "Braves Country" and Raleigh is in that buffer zone between Washington and Atlanta.

 

[33Y0]

I'm having a hard time seeing where expansion makes sense. A third NY team in Brooklyn? Austin? Montreal redux? Aren't the Mariners going to fight Portland?

Before one of the suburban counties caved and built Truist Park in Metro Atlanta, they flirted hard with NC/Charlotte. I almost wonder if RDU would get an expansion team before Charlotte because it's so engrained as "Braves Country" and Raleigh is in that buffer zone between Washington and Atlanta.

Nashville I’ve heard a lot about as well as even Vegas. Portland has been tossed around a lot.

 

[MadThinker88]

I'm having a hard time seeing where expansion makes sense. A third NY team in Brooklyn? Austin? Montreal redux? Aren't the Mariners going to fight Portland?

Before one of the suburban counties caved and built Truist Park in Metro Atlanta, they flirted hard with NC/Charlotte. I almost wonder if RDU would get an expansion team before Charlotte because it's so engrained as "Braves Country" and Raleigh is in that buffer zone between Washington and Atlanta.

Las Vegas has a new stadium and its able to be expanded for more seating..
Mexico City was another spot floated out there in the past few years.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Expansion is inevitable over the next few years. I'm more concerned about the solvency, or lack of, with ownership here in Cleveland. Poor attendance, lack of minority partner, lease at stadium is expiring, and ability to even change the name are concerning to me.
A new owner might keep the team in Cleveland, for now. But with no guarantees about the future.

 

[33Y0]

Expansion is inevitable over the next few years. I'm more concerned about the solvency, or lack of, with ownership here in Cleveland. Poor attendance, lack of minority partner, lease at stadium is expiring, and ability to even change the name are concerning to me.
A new owner might keep the team in Cleveland, for now. But with no guarantees about the future.

There was an article today, I forget where, urging the Haslam family to buy the Indians. Take that FWIW….

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Marlins won the 97 and 2003 World Series... Last year was the first time they lost a playoff series in franchise history and they aren't a weak team honestly. I don't think your personal hate of a team would have any effect on things from the MLB level lol

The Marlins didn’t win the ‘97 World Series; we lost it - to a franchise that shouldn’t exist. One that is an abomination against God and man.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

The Marlins didn’t win the ‘97 World Series; we lost it - to a franchise that shouldn’t exist. One that is an abomination against God and man.

 

[bob2the2nd]

I'm having a hard time seeing where expansion makes sense. A third NY team in Brooklyn? Austin? Montreal redux? Aren't the Mariners going to fight Portland?

Before one of the suburban counties caved and built Truist Park in Metro Atlanta, they flirted hard with NC/Charlotte. I almost wonder if RDU would get an expansion team before Charlotte because it's so engrained as "Braves Country" and Raleigh is in that buffer zone between Washington and Atlanta.

I imagine the list goes like this

1a. Portland
1b. Nashville
3. Vegas
4. The field