Major League Baseball (MLB), the highest level ofprofessional baseball in the United States and Canada, has undergone several rounds ofexpansion beginning in1961, eventually reaching 30 teams with itsmost recent expansion taking place in1998. MLB has discussed preparations for another round of expansion. Several investment groups are vying for an MLB franchise.
| Progression of MLB expansion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Years | No. ofAL teams | No. ofNL teams |
| 1901–1960 | 8 | 8 |
| 1961 | 10 | |
| 1962–1968 | 10 | |
| 1969–1976 | 12 | 12 |
| 1977–1992 | 14 | |
| 1993–1997 | 14 | |
| 1998–2012 | 16 | |
| 2013–present | 15 | 15 |
For a 50-year period from 1903 to 1952, MLB's 16-team structure, split into theAmerican League (AL) andNational Leagues (NL), remained intact. No franchises were relocated during this period, and five markets—Boston, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, and St. Louis—had two or more teams. According to authors Andy McCue and Eric Thompson, "The less financially successful clubs in two-team cities were finding it increasingly difficult to compete" by the early 1950s.[1] In addition, population changes in the United States were leading to many citizens moving away from the Northeast, where many MLB teams were based, to southern and western locations.[1]
From 1953 to 1955, three franchises relocated, all of which had been in markets with two or more teams. In addition, prior to the 1958 season, the two New York City teams in the NL, theBrooklyn Dodgers andNew York Giants, moved westward; theDodgers relocated to Los Angeles, while San Francisco became the new home of theGiants.[1]
After the relocation of the Dodgers and Giants, a thirdmajor league for baseball, theContinental League, was proposed by lawyerWilliam Shea in November 1958. Shortly after in December, MLB had created an Expansion Committee.[1] On July 27, 1959, the new league was formally announced, with teams inDenver,Houston,Minneapolis–St. Paul,New York City, andToronto, with three other cities later picked by January 1960,Atlanta,Dallas–Fort Worth, andBuffalo, set to start on April 18, 1961.[2] In addition to the pressures of the proposed Continental League, MLB was facing pressure from the U.S. Congress, which indicated that efforts to prevent future expansion would arouse interest in weakening the sport'sexemption from antitrust laws.[3] Congress voted on a bill aimed at repealing the exemption, but it failed.
However, MLB moved to expand after a rival league became a possibility.[4] MLB formed an expansion committee, which voted in favor of adding four new teams, two in each league, by 1961–62.[5] MLB sought cities that had received interest from the Continental League as a means to stop its formal start. Among them were Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C, which were all granted franchises by late 1960.[1] As a concession by William A. Shea, part of his negotiations with Major League Baseball to expand to incorporate at least eight new teams, the Continental League formally disbanded on August 2, 1960.
ActorGene Autry led a group that paid $2.1 million for the right to place an MLB team in Los Angeles.[6] Autry, who owned radio stations, had been seeking to acquire a contract to broadcast baseball games when he traveled to MLB'sWinter Meetings. After the Meetings, on December 6, 1960, his group received franchise rights. The Los Angeles team was initially scheduled to begin play in 1962, but a relocation plan elsewhere in the AL resulted in the start date being moved up to 1961.[7] The club was named theLos Angeles Angels, after aPacific Coast League team that had previously played in the city. To secure the name rights, Autry paid a $350,000 fee to Dodgers ownerWalter O'Malley, who had purchased the minor league Angels before relocating the Dodgers to Los Angeles.[8]
Leading figures in Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota, had sought an expansion franchise. In October 1960, the AL permitted theWashington Senators to move in time for the 1961 season and gave Washington, D.C., an expansion team.[9] The former Senators changed their name to the Minnesota Twins, and the new expansion team took the Senators name.[10] The decision was partially in response to pressure from Congress, which had wanted a replacement for the former Senators. As with the Angels' ownership group, the new Senators' owners paid a $2.1 million fee for the right to an MLB franchise.[11] In 1972, the newWashington Senators team relocated to theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex as theTexas Rangers.
The NL announced an expansion as the1960 World Series was in progress, with new teams in Houston and New York City.[5]William Shea had been a supporter of the Continental League concept, and had attracted several investors. A potential Houston team also had numerous partners, many of whom had oil interests. The AL initially showed interest in adding a Houston team, but the investors wanted an NL franchise. MLB granted the two cities franchises on October 17, 1960.[1]
The Houston Sports Association was formed in 1957 and bought a minor league baseball team four years later. The group was given a controlling interest in Houston's expansion team, which was named theHouston Colt .45s. It played atColt Stadium.[12] It would only be a few years later in1965 that the team would become the Houston Astros. In2013, the Astros transferred to the American League.
Following the announcement of the Dodgers and Giants leaving New York City, the city formed the Mayor's Committee, headed by lawyerWilliam Shea.[1] Though New York City sought a replacement NL franchise (strongly supported by city MayorRobert Wagner), MLB displayed little intention of adding a New York team, despite the formation of the Expansion Committee.[4] With Shea's Continental League project and pressure from Congress, MLB eventually gave in and rewarded New York with a National League franchise, effectively killing the Continental League project. On May 8, 1961, the club announced the name of the team would be theNew York Mets, named after a shortened version of the 1880s team, theNew York Metropolitans.[13][14][15]
The city was unable to secure funding for a proposed Flushing Meadows stadium in time for play in 1962, so the Mets played at thePolo Grounds, the previous home of the New York Giants.[16][17]George Weiss was the president of the team, and seven-timeWorld Series championship-winning managerCasey Stengel was hired to lead the Mets on the field.[16] Thanks to Shea's efforts to bring National League baseball back to New York,Shea Stadium the stadium the Mets would play in from 1964 to 2008, was named in his honor.
Following the departure of theKansas City Athletics to Oakland following the end of the1967 season,US SenatorStuart Symington threatened to challenge Major League Baseball'santitrust exemption with federal legislation,[18] and to also challenge thereserve clause. Kansas City mayorIlus Davis threatened a lawsuit to block the move.[19]Tom Yawkey arranged a meeting of the owners during a convention, during which the league agreed to accelerate the expansion process and assured that Kansas City would be granted a new franchise to begin play no later than the1969 season.[20] This would require another franchise to be established at the same time to ensure the league had an even number of teams for a balanced schedule.[21]Ewing Kauffman won rights to the franchise and paid a $5.5 million expansion fee for theKansas City Royals, which played games at Municipal Stadium[11] until the end of the1972 season, after which the team moved to Royals Stadium, now known asKauffman Stadium.
Because of failed attempts to attract existing teams, Seattle instead tried to lobby for an expansion franchise at the 1967 owners' meetings in Chicago.[21] The delegation also had support from twoUS Senators,Henry M. Jackson andWarren Magnuson, the latter of whom was the chairman of theSenate Commerce Committee, a committee which has "jurisdiction over the major league's business activities".[21] Coupled with Symington's threats related to the move of the Kansas City Athletics, the political influence swayed the American League owners. However, they were reluctant to expand in 1969 without a Seattle stadium bond issue.[20] The Seattle delegation assured the owners that Sick's Stadium could be renovated in five months to fulfill the minimum requirements until a new stadium was built; with this, the owners agreed to a 1969 expansion, and approved teams in Kansas City and Seattle.[20]
In December 1967 at theWinter Meetings inMexico City, the franchise was officially awarded to Pacific Northwest Sports, led byDewey Soriano, which received $5.5 million in funding fromWilliam R. Daley, who thus had 47% ownership of the venture.[21] Other owners included Max and Dewey Soriano. The award was contingent on renovation of Sick's Stadium to increase itsseating capacity from 11,000 to 30,000 by the start of the 1969 season.[21] The Sorianos persuaded notable athletes to advocate for the $40 millionKing County stadium bond issue, including baseball playersMickey Mantle,Carl Yastrzemski, andJoe DiMaggio, andfootball playerY. A. Tittle; the bond issue was approved by 62.3% of the electorate.[22][21] TheSeattle Pilots would eventually be declared bankrupt in 1970 and the team was sold toBud Selig, who moved the team to Milwaukee after only one season in Seattle and renamed it as the present-dayMilwaukee Brewers. The team would eventually transfer to the National League in1998 as a result of expansion that season.
Montreal City CouncilorGerry Snyder spoke toFord C. Frick sometime after the 1962 Major League Baseball expansion, during which he was told Montreal would not receive an expansion franchise unless it had a stadium in which to contest matches.[23] At the Winter Meetings in Mexico City on December 2, 1967, Snyder presented a proposal to Major League Baseball owners to establish a franchise in the city.[24] Several influential owners pledged their support for a Montreal franchise in that meeting, includingWalter O'Malley,Roy Hofheinz, andJohn Galbreath.[23] Certain that Hofheinz would object to a Dallas–Fort Worth bid and that the San Diego bid was near certain to be successful, Snyder deemed a bid from Buffalo to be the strongest bid against which to compete.
On May 27, 1968, the National League officially awarded a franchise to Montreal to commence play in the 1969 season.[24] National League presidentWarren Giles had encouraged the owners during the meeting, stating "If we're going to expand, let's really spread it out".[25] The Montreal Expos became the first franchise to be awarded to a city outside the United States. When the news reached the U.S. Congress, members collectively condemned the decision.[23]
Because of the slow pace of progress in meeting commitments,Jean-Louis Lévesque withdrew his financial support in the franchise on July 31, 1968. Snyder quickly found another investor,Charles Bronfman, and the team met the deadline of 15 August for the initial $1.1 million installment, before whichJarry Park was selected as the team's stadium for the short term.[23] Renovations to the park were made by adding uncovered bleacher seats along the right and left field lines, and an electronic scoreboard installed beyond right field.[26] The team had some issues committing to a new stadium, as required by the franchise award, and it was said that the team had agreed to build a dome at theAutostade and use it as their stadium if a new stadium was not built by 1970.[27] It had originally intended to lease the stadium and expand its seating capacity from 26,000 to 37,000,[27] but then chose Jarry Park instead.
The ownership group paid $12.5 million for the team.[28]John McHale was hired as the team's first president,[29] andJim Fanning its first general manager.[23] Many names had been considered for the team, includingRoyals which had a strong association with the city, but the name had already been adopted by the new Kansas City franchise. After rejecting various options, including "Voyageurs" and "Nationals", the nameExpos was chosen in honour ofExpo 67[26] and because it was the same in both of the city's official languages.[23] McHale stated that the name would "help Montreal be identified properly as the city that gave the world Expo 67".[23]
TheMontreal Expos would eventually relocate toWashington, D.C. for the2005 season as theWashington Nationals.
In 1967,C. Arnholt Smith, owner of theSan Diego Padres of thePacific Coast League (PCL), won a bid for anexpansion team in theNational League for the1969 season. On May 27, 1968, the National League officially awarded a franchise to San Diego to commence play in the 1969 season[24] for a fee of $12.5 million for the team.[28] After the 1968 PCL season, Smith surrendered the PCL franchise, which moved toEugene, Oregon, and transferred the Padre name to his new NL team, theSan Diego Padres.Eddie Leishman was named general manager of the MLB Padres, with club president and minority investorBuzzie Bavasi, formerly GM of theLos Angeles Dodgers (having resigned to take the new role), playing a dominant role in its baseball operations as president of the team.[30]
Following the bankruptcy and departure of theSeattle Pilots on April 1, 1970, the city of Seattle,King County, and the state ofWashington sued the American League forbreach of contract.[31] The $32.5 million lawsuit[32] proceeded until 1976, when at trial the American League offered the city a franchise in exchange for the city, county, and state to drop the suit.[31] On November 2, 1972, King County broke ground on theKingdome,[33] which would come to be used by theSeattle Mariners forbaseball and by theSeahawks forfootball.
On January 15, 1976, the expansion franchise was approved, becoming the 13th franchise in the American League. It was owned by Lester Smith andDanny Kaye,[32] who paid an expansion fee ofUS$6.5 million.[34] Owing to the history surrounding the franchise,sportswriter Emmett Watson of theSeattle Post-Intelligencer joked that the team should be named theSeattle Litigants.[32]
Toronto had previously been involved with the failed Continental League. In 1974, the Toronto City Council approved a furtherCA$2.8 million for renovations to Exhibition Stadium, retrofitting the stadium for baseball and would be ready in time for the1977 season.[35] There had been strong interest from several groups and individuals to own a Major League Baseball team in the city. The most prominent wasLabatt Brewing Company, who wanted to use ownership of a sports team as a means to establish a visible presence in the Toronto market.[35] Labatt Brewing Company would go on to fail at acquiring and relocating theBaltimore Orioles and theCleveland Indians to Toronto.[36] Soon after in February 1976, the Labatt Brewing Company would again fail to acquire and relocate a third team, this time theSan Francisco Giants. Following this failure,Toronto City Council aldermanPaul Godfrey received a phone call fromKansas City Royals ownerEwing Kauffman informing him that he supported a Toronto franchise for the American League.[37]
During an owners meeting held on March 20, 1976, the American League franchises voted 11–1 to expand the league with a Toronto franchise, to which National League owners resolved to consider a Toronto franchise to begin play in the1977 season.[37]Bowie Kuhn, at the time theCommissioner of Baseball, planned for the National League to expand with new franchises in Toronto andWashington, D.C., and for the American League to add a new franchise inNew Orleans in addition to the already-awarded Seattle franchise.[37][38] On March 29, National League owners met and voted in favour of the expansion plans, but they were rejected because the vote was not unanimous, with dissenting votes from the owners of theCincinnati Reds andPhiladelphia Phillies.[38] A subsequent vote on April 26 ended this plan with a 7–5 result in favour of the proposal, again failing to achieve unanimity.[38]
Two groups bid for the rights to franchise ownership in the city,[39] which presented bids during an American League owner's meeting on March 26, 1976.[40] Ultimately, an ownership group named Metro Baseball Ltd. consisting of Labatt Brewing Company, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, andImperial Trust won the bid for a franchise fee ofCA$7 million.[34][41][42][35] The other bid was made by Atlantic Packaging.[41] The winning bid was represented by legal counselHerb Solway andGord Kirke. Kirke prepared the original documents which led to the foundation of the team in 1976, named theToronto Blue Jays.[43]
In June 1991, the MLB expansion committee accepted the bids of the Miami and Denver groups to debut in 1993.[44][45] Expansion was approved unanimously by all teams in July 1991.[46]
Denver, Colorado had previously been involved with the failed Continental League. After previous failed attempts to bring Major League Baseball to the state of Colorado (most notably thePittsburgh Pirates nearly relocating to Denver following thePittsburgh drug trials in 1985), by the late 1980s a team seemed to be a possibility in Denver. Eugene Orza, associate general counsel of theMajor League Baseball Players Association, stated that he expected Denver would receive one of the expansion franchises.[47]
The Colorado Baseball Commission, led by banking executive Larry Varnell, was successful in getting Denver voters to approve a 0.1% sales tax to help finance a new baseball stadium. Also, an advisory committee was formed in 1990 by then-Governor of ColoradoRoy Romer to recruit an ownership group. The group selected was led by John Antonucci, an Ohio beverage distributor, andMichael I. Monus, the head of thePhar-Mor drugstore chain. Local and regional companies—such as Erie Lake, Hensel Phelps Construction,KOA Radio, and theRocky Mountain News—rounded out the group. The Denver group chose to call their franchise theColorado Rockies, the same name used as theNational Hockey League franchise that played in Denver from 1976 to 1982.
U.S. SenatorConnie Mack III fromFlorida, the grandson of baseball greatConnie Mack and a member of the Senate Task Force on Major League Baseball, pushedBaseball CommissionerFay Vincent to expand to Florida.[48]
On June 10, 1990,Wayne Huizenga, CEO ofBlockbuster Entertainment Corporation, was awarded an expansion franchise in theNational League (NL) for a $95 million expansion fee and the team began operations in1993 as theFlorida Marlins, beating out bids inOrlando andTampa Bay. Orlando fielded a very spirited campaign bolstered by its family-oriented tourism industry. Tampa Bay already had a baseball park — theFlorida Suncoast Dome inSt. Petersburg, completed in 1990. The Miami group chose to call themselves the "Florida" Marlins to broaden their fanbase to the entire state,[46] while reviving the nickname "Marlins" from previous minor league teams, theMiami Marlins of the International League from 1956 to 1960, and theMiami Marlins (1962–1970) andMiami Marlins (1982–1988) teams that played in theFlorida State League.[49]
With the enfranchisement of a team in theTampa Bay area and a new stadium in Miami proper, the Florida Marlins would rename as the Miami Marlins in 2012.
In the fall of 1993,Jerry Colangelo, majority owner of thePhoenix Suns, the area'sNBA franchise, announced he was assembling an ownership group, "Arizona Baseball, Inc.", to apply for a Major League Baseball expansion team. This was a local group formed to preserveCactus Leaguespring training in Arizona and eventually secure a Major League franchise for the state.
Colangelo's group was so certain that they would be awarded a franchise that they held a name-the-team contest for it, with the final choice being "Diamondbacks", after theWestern diamondback, arattlesnake native to the region known for injecting a large amount ofvenom when it strikes.[50]
Colangelo's bid received strong support from one of his friends,Chicago White Sox andChicago Bulls ownerJerry Reinsdorf, and media reports say that then-actingCommissioner of Baseball andMilwaukee Brewers founderBud Selig was also a strong supporter of Colangelo's bid.[51] Plans were also made for a new retractable-roof ballpark, to be built in an industrial/warehouse district on the southeast edge of downtown Phoenix, one block from the Suns'America West Arena. On March 9, 1995, Colangelo's group was awarded a franchise to begin play for the1998 season.[52] A $130 million franchise fee was paid to Major League Baseball in four payments, over the course of three years.[52][53] In addition, the Diamondbacks gave away their rights to $5 million from baseball's central fund for each of the five years following expansion (1998–2002).
Arizona had originally been intended to join Tampa Bay in theAmerican League. However, five American League teams had threatened to block the league assignments because of concerns that they would have additional games out of their time zone, causing early starts that would decrease revenue and TV ratings. Thus, on January 16, 1997, theArizona Diamondbacks were officially voted into the National League while their expansion counterparts in Tampa Bay were voted into the American League.[54]
After failing to land an expansion team for the 1993 season, the Tampa Bay Baseball Group, the group leading theTampa Bay area for an expansion team, sued MLB for allegedly reneging on an agreement to grant an expansion team to Tampa.
Like Phoenix, Arizona, on March 9, 1995, Tampa Bay Baseball Group was awarded a franchise to begin play for the 1998 season,[52] and paid an identical $130 million franchise fee that was paid to Major League Baseball in four payments, over the course of three years.[52][53] Similarly, theTampa Bay Devil Rays gave away their rights to $5 million from baseball's central fund for each of the five years following expansion (1998–2002).
The suit that was launched in response to the failed 1993 expansion was settled in 2003, five years after the Devil Rays began play in the American League.[55] In 2008, the team would rebrand to their current name, the Tampa Bay Rays.
There have been sixexpansion drafts in MLB history.
| Year | New teams | Team(s) | Total teams after draft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2 | Los Angeles Angels,Washington Senators (nowTexas Rangers) | 18 |
| 1961 | 2 | Houston Colt .45s (nowHouston Astros),New York Mets | 20 |
| 1968 | 4 | Kansas City Royals,Montreal Expos (nowWashington Nationals),San Diego Padres,Seattle Pilots (nowMilwaukee Brewers) | 24 |
| 1976 | 2 | Seattle Mariners,Toronto Blue Jays | 26 |
| 1992 | 2 | Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins (nowMiami Marlins) | 28 |
| 1997 | 2 | Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Devil Rays (nowTampa Bay Rays) | 30 |
Locations of potential expansion sites
Locations of existing teams
Location offuture relocation (Las Vegas Athletics)After the 2017 season,Tracy Ringolsby ofBaseball America wrote that there was "a building consensus" that MLB would expand to 32 teams. He said that the proposed expansion would allow for divisional realignment to address concerns with travel and off-days in the schedule.[56][57] Ringolsby also reported that a team would likely go toPortland, Oregon, with Manfred citing a need for another team in thewestern United States.[56][58]
AfterSportico estimated the average value of an MLB franchise to be $2.2 billion in April 2021, Manfred called it a "lodestar" for negotiations for an expansion fee for the team's new owners.[59]Tony Clark, the executive director of theMLB Players Association, voiced his support for expanding MLB to 32 teams the following year.[60]
In April 2023, the Athletics entered into an agreement torelocate to Las Vegas.[61] Las Vegas had been seeking an MLB franchise, either through expansion or relocation of an existing team.[62] In April 2024, the Athletics announced they had entered into an agreement withSacramento River Cats ownerVivek Ranadive to play the 2025–2027 seasons at their home stadium,Sutter Health Park inWest Sacramento, California until a new stadium in Las Vegas is completed.[63]
On September 19, 2023, the Rays announced plans to build anew ballpark in St. Petersburg adjacent to Tropicana Field, as part of the redevelopment of the Gas Plant District, which was planned to open for the 2028 season. It was expected to be a 30,000 seat fixed-roof stadium which would have cost $1.3 billion.[64] By July 2024, the Rays new ballpark was officially approved by the Pinellas County Commission in a 5–2 vote which would have ensured that the team would stay put in theTampa Bay area.[65] However, on March 13, 2025, the Rays announced that they would not pursue the stadium.[66]
The Austin Baseball Commission LLC was launched in mid-July 2024, a grassroots organization devoted to bringing an MLB team toAustin, Texas.[67][68] The organization, founded by sales consultant and marketer Derrik Fox with help fromMatt Mackowiak - head of theTravis County Republican Party and founder of Save Austin NowPAC - has the support ofWilliamson County Judge Bill Gravell and Austin MayorKirk Watson. The group cites the early success ofMLS'sAustin FC team as "proof of concept" that an MLB team will work.[67] TheAustin area is home to theRound Rock Express who play at theDell Diamond inRound Rock, Texas.
Efforts to bring an MLB team toBuffalo, New York, were initiated in the 1960s. Buffalo was previously home to theBuffalo Bisons of theNational League from 1879 to 1885, who played atRiverside Park andOlympic Park. After leaving the National League, the franchise operated as a minor league team in theInternational league from 1886 to 1898. The franchise would later join theWestern League (the predecessor to the contemporaryAmerican League) in 1899, but was removed from the league in favour of the Boston Americans (the predecessor to theBoston Red Sox).[69] The Bisons returned to the minor leagues and played until 1970, when the team was moved toWinnipeg,Manitoba. The current incarnation of theBisons was launched in 1979.
Bob Rich Jr., chairman and majority owner ofRich Products Corporation, had spearheaded expansion efforts in Buffalo. The first attempt at obtaining a franchise was made during the 1969 expansion, but was ultimately passed over in favour of theMontreal Expos andSan Diego Padres. The most high-profile effort was made by Rich Entertainment Group in advance of the 1990 expansion.[70] In 1983, Rich purchased the Bisons and upgraded their affiliation to Triple-A. In 1986, the construction of the 19,500-seat Pilot Stadium (nowSahlen Field) was initiated, and eventually completed in 1988. The stadium was planned with a second phase of construction, where it was designed for expansion to a maximum capacity of 45,000 seats to accommodate a Major League team.[71] The expansion was never completed. During the2020 and2021 seasons, ambitions for a Major League team were reignited when theToronto Blue Jays (the Bisons' affiliates) chose to play portions of the two seasons at Sahlen Field due toCOVID-19 pandemic-related travel restrictions at the Canadian border.[72]
Buffalo is currently home to the NHL'sBuffalo Sabres and the NFL'sBuffalo Bills, in addition to formerly being the home of the NBA'sBuffalo Braves, who played in the city from 1970 to 1978. The city currently has a baseball team, theMiLBTriple-ABuffalo Bisons, who play at Sahlen Field.
The Charlotte Bats is an organization devoted to bringing an MLB team toCharlotte, North Carolina.[73] In March 2023, the deputy mayor of Charlotte said that no plans for a stadium have been submitted to theCharlotte City Council for consideration.[73] Charlotte is home to theCharlotte Knights who play atTruist Field.
Discussion regarding expansion of MLB toMontreal, Quebec, has seen a resurgence following the 2004 departure of theMontreal Expos, which joined the league in 1969 and played for 36 seasons in theNL East before relocating toWashington, D.C. and becoming theWashington Nationals. The mainstream discussion of expansion began in 2014, when theToronto Blue Jays began hosting annual pre-season weekend exhibition games atOlympic Stadium, the former home of the Expos. These exhibition weekends saw attendance numbers reach approximately 50,000 per game, which led to comments from both former and current MLB commissionersBud Selig andRob Manfred suggesting that Montreal could once again become a viable baseball city.[74] Exhibition games were played from 2014 to 2019, after which they were stopped due to the effects of theCOVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing renovation of Olympic Stadium.
In 2012, former Expos playerWarren Cromartie founded the Montreal Baseball Project, an advocacy organization that aims to help bring professional baseball back to the city. Montreal Baseball Project has attracted high-profile corporate support, with Canadian companies such as theRoyal Bank of Canada,Dollarama,Air Canada,EY Canada, andRDS (Bell Canada) sponsoring the organization.[75] In 2015,Denis Coderre, themayor of Montreal, andStephen Bronfman, the son of Expos ownerCharles Bronfman, wrote a letter to all 30 MLB teams extolling Montreal as an expansion city.[76] Stephen Bronfman, through his development company Claridge and partner company Devimco,[77] had began the development of a plan in 2019 that would have seen a new 29,072-seat stadium, at an approximate cost of $700M CAD, that would have been built on land purchased from the federal government in Montreal'sBassin Peel, located in the historicLachine Canal south of downtown. The stadium was to anchor a new mixed-use community and be connected to theREM. The provincial government was reportedly considering offering the group a 30-year loan to help finance the construction of the stadium.[78] The land purchase and stadium development was to work in conjunction with a plan proposed by theTampa Bay Rays in 2019 to explore the splitting of games betweenTampa Bay and Montreal.[79] This plan was ultimately rejected by the MLB in January 2022.[80] Subsequently, the plan has not seen any additional baseball-related movement since this occurred.
Montreal is currently home to the NHL'sMontreal Canadiens, the CFL'sMontreal Alouettes, and MLS'CF Montreal. No level of baseball is currently played in the city, but the city had a long-standing team in theMiLBIL, theTriple-AMontreal Royals, from 1897 to 1960.
Efforts to bring an MLB team toNashville, Tennessee, were initiated in the 1980s. A formal group, consisting ofNashville Sounds presidentLarry Schmittou, Nashville mayorRichard Fulton, and Tennessee governorLamar Alexander made a presentation to the MLB expansion committee in 1985.[81] The ownership group of the Sounds, including minority ownersConway Twitty,Larry Gatlin,Richard Sterban,Jerry Reed, andCal Smith, joined the bid to help satisfy the financial requirements of the expansion committee.[82] When MLB formally initiated an expansion process in 1990, the group drafted a plan that would have seen the construction of a 40,000-seat stadium in northern Nashville, at the intersection ofInterstate 24 andBriley Parkway.[83] The group was ultimately unsuccessful in the expansion bid and passed over for the 1993 expansion.[84] The group had planned to re-apply for the 1998 expansion, but ultimately chose not to submit a bid.[85][86]
In 2019, efforts for expansion started to occur again when Music City Baseball was founded by John Loar andAlberto Gonzales.[87] They brought onDave Stewart to lead them publicly. The organization aims to bring MLB to Nashville, and has indicated that the proposed team would be named the "Nashville Stars", after theNegro league team of that name.[88] The group initially sought land for a stadium by theCumberland River,[87] but as of June 2022, shifted their focus towardNorth Nashville nearTennessee State University.[88] The group's intention is to privately fund the stadium.[89]
Nashville is currently home to the NHL'sNashville Predators, the NFL'sTennessee Titans, and MLS'Nashville SC. The city also has aMinor League Baseball team, theTriple-A Nashville Sounds, who play atFirst Horizon Park.[90]
Efforts to bring an MLB team toOrlando, Florida, were initiated in the 1990s. While a bid was reportedly made in advance of the 1993 expansion, a second, higher profile bid was made in advance of the 1998 expansion.[91] The bid was spearheaded byOrange County chairLinda Chapin. Plans were made to build an open-air stadium in downtown Orlando, funded partially by a $48 million annual tourist tax, and an ownership group was being developed, withDisney andOrlando Magic executives reportedly being targeted.[92] Orlando ultimately ended up being passed over for theTampa Bay Rays in the 1998 expansion, due to the area already having a stadium built and ready,Tropicana Field.
In November 2019,Pat Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic, unveiled the "Orlando Dreamers", a concept for an MLB expansion team in Orlando.[93] Thousands of people indicated interest in buying season tickets on the Orlando Dreamers website in the 24 hours after the announcement.[94] The group has proposed building a 45,000-seat domed stadium on a 35.5-acre (14.4 ha) lot near theOrange County Convention Center along with 1,000 hotel rooms, estimating a cost of $1.7 billion. As of May 2023, the group was seeking $975 million in public funds.[95][96] Williams died in July 2024, putting the project on hiatus.[97] A month later, the Orlando Dreamers indicated that they would continue to push forward to bring a team to Orlando.[98] On January 29, 2025, it was announced that Cincinnati RedsHall-of-FamerBarry Larkin would join the effort to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando as the MLB Ambassador for the Orlando Dreamers.[99] On March 14, a day after the Tampa Bay Rays canceled theirstadium plan in St. Petersburg, the group announced that they had secured aletter of intent for a significant portion of stadium financing and an anchor investor for the control ownership group.[100][101][102] On April 25, the Orlando Dreamers announced that they have secured $1.5 billion in funding to attract an MLB team and build a stadium in Orlando.[103]
Orlando is currently home to theNBA's Orlando Magic and MLS'Orlando City SC. No level of baseball is currently played in the city, but the city had a long-standing team in theMiLBSouthern League, theOrlando Rays (originally the Orlando Caps), from 1919 to 2003.
Efforts to bring an MLB team toPortland, Oregon, were initiated in the early 2000s. Discussion about relocating theMontreal Expos included Portland as a potential candidate, amongWashington, D.C. andArlington, Virginia.[104] TheOregon Legislative Assembly passed Senate Bill 5 in 2003, which could provide $150 million in public funds towards building a stadium, and the use ofProvidence Park as a temporary venue.[105][106] This relocation push was ultimately unsuccessful when the franchise moved to Washington, D.C. and became theWashington Nationals. In 2006, theFlorida Marlins were experiencing uncertainty regarding funding for a new stadium, and were facing risk of relocation. Portland was floated as a potential candidate alongsideLas Vegas, Nevada in the event that funding fell through.[107] The Marlins ultimately were able to secure funding in 2007 and did not relocate.
In 2017, the Portland Diamond Project (PDP) was formed by Craig Cheek, a retired vice president forNike, Inc., andMike Barrett, a former broadcaster for thePortland Trail Blazers of the NBA.[108]Russell Wilson andCiara invested in the group in 2018.[109] In 2018, PDP announced an agreement with thePort of Portland to build a 32,000-seat stadium along theWillamette River[110][111] on a 45.5-acre (18.4 ha) tract of land at Terminal 2[112] inNorthwest Portland. Architecture firmPopulous would build the stadium if the proposal is approved.[113] In 2023, PDP had shifted focus and was considering sites at theLloyd Center shopping mall in downtown Portland or theRedtail Golf Course in neighboringBeaverton.[114] In January 2024, they announced they were in negotiations to purchase the 164-acre (66 ha) Redtail site.[115] On September 23, 2024, PDP announced that they had signed a letter of intent to purchaseZidell Yards, a former industrial waterfront in theSouth Portland neighborhood.[116] Oregon governorTina Kotek signed a bill that authorizes the state to set aside $800 million for the construction of a baseball stadium if Portland is awarded a franchise, with the money to be repaid by income taxes on players and staff.[117]
Portland is currently home to the NBA'sPortland Trail Blazers and MLS'Portland Timbers. The city currently has a baseball team, theMiLBHigh-AHillsboro Hops, who play atHillsboro Ballpark, but also had a long-standing team in the MiLBPCL, the Triple-APortland Beavers, from 1903 to 2010.
Tom Dundon, the owner of theCarolina Hurricanes of theNational Hockey League, has stated his intent to lead a group to submit a bid to bring an MLB team toRaleigh, North Carolina, during the next phase of expansion.[118] The Hurricanes have committed long-term to the city, until at least 2044, along with the approved $1.1 billion in upgrades forLenovo Center and development of a sports and entertainment district around the arena, which could include a baseball stadium.[119] Dundon has stated that securing the capital necessary is a non-issue.[120] TheRaleigh area is home to theDurham Bulls who play at theDurham Bulls Athletic Park inDurham, North Carolina.
Efforts to bring an MLB team toSacramento, California, were initiated in the 1980s.ARCO Arena, the former home of theSacramento Kings, was constructed in 1985 to attract the relocated basketball team fromKansas City. The following year, team owner Gregg Lukenbill began construction of a 53,000-seat mixed-used stadium on the property, to be called ARCO Park,[121] intended to bring both theOakland Athletics andOakland Raiders to the city.[122] The deal ultimately fell through and construction was halted in 1987, with the foundation having already been built. The remnants of the stadium were demolished in 2022.[122]
In April 2024, the Athletics entered into an agreement to play three or more seasons inWest Sacramento, California. After the press conference announcing the move,Vivek Ranadivé, owner of theSacramento River Cats and the Sacramento Kings, stated that, in conversations with MLB CommissionerRob Manfred, he was told that MLB was seeking to add a west coast expansion franchise. Ranadivé added that he felt Sacramento would move into "pole position" for a new team, with the A's sojourn being a "good showcase" for the Sacramento market.[123] Ranadivé mentioned theSacramento Railyards, originally intended as the site for aMLS expansion stadium, as the potential site of a new ball park. Later in the day, Sacramento MayorDarrell Steinberg also made mention of Sacramento's intention to seek an MLB expansion franchise during a press conference from city hall, referring to the A's stint in Sacramento as an "audition" for MLB.[124]
On October 20, 2025, Sacramento mayorKevin McCarty announced that he and West Sacramento mayor Martha Guerrero launched a joint campaign to attract an expansion team, stating that "We are an MLB ready city". When asked about the location of the site within the largerSacramento metropolitan area, McCarty stated "most likely is the city of West Sacramento. Some people say, 'Wow, you're the mayor of Sacramento, and you don't want to fight for the ballpark in Sacramento?' No. I don't. Wherever it makes the most sense, you know, West Sacramento is the most likely logical location." Regarding the status of such a case for West Sacramento, Guerrero stated "The City of West Sacramento is conducting preliminary studies to evaluate the long-term feasibility of permanently bringing Major League Baseball to West Sacramento, including the financing and infrastructure investments required to build a new stadium....While this work is still in its early stages, we are confident that West Sacramento offers one of the most attractive and strategically positioned locations for Major League Baseball expansion on the West Coast."[125]
Sacramento is currently home to theNBA's Sacramento Kings, in addition to being the temporary home of the Athletics until theirnew stadium inParadise, Nevada finishes construction. The city's current baseball team, theMiLBTriple-A Sacramento River Cats, play atSutter Health Park that they temporarily share with the Athletics.
In April 2023,Gail Miller, the widow ofUtah Jazz ownerLarry H. Miller and co-founder of the Larry H. Miller Company, announced the formation of Big League Utah, a group of investors looking to obtain an expansion MLB franchise forSalt Lake City, Utah. They also announced their partnership withRocky Mountain Power to develop a 100-acre (40 ha) lot on the city's west side for a stadium.[126] On February 15, 2024, the Larry H. Miller company announced that they plan to invest at least $3.5 billion towards the lot, bringing mixed-use development to the area, including a baseball stadium.[127] The Salt Lake City area is currently home to theSalt Lake Bees who play atDaybreak Field at America First Square inSouth Jordan, Utah. Salt Lake City is home to theNBA's Utah Jazz, theNHL'sUtah Mammoth, andMLS'sReal Salt Lake.
Discussions regarding the expansion of MLB inVancouver, British Columbia, had begun in the early 1980s. With the construction of the domed, multipurposeBC Place stadium beginning in 1981 as part of Vancouver's hosting preparations forExpo 86,Jim Pattison (owner of theTriple-AVancouver Canadians of thePacific Coast League, and owner ofJim Pattison Group), with the support ofMolson Breweries, had begun aggressively pursuing an expansion or relocation team to play in BC Place.[128] However, the league ultimately did not expand throughout the 1980s and the expansion bid lost momentum. Around this time, theSeattle Mariners were reportedly considering playing up to 15 games a year in Vancouver amid struggling attendance, but this ultimately never materialized.[129] BC Place would later eventually host multiple pre-season exhibition games, with the final games being a series between theToronto Blue Jays, Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, andColorado Rockies in April 1994.[130] Vancouver is currently home to the Vancouver Canadians who play atNat Bailey Stadium.
In 2014, Vancouver Canadians president Andy Dunn broughtUBCThunderbirds players to BC Place to trial batting practice in the stadium in hopes of securing new MLB exhibition games.[131] In February 2020, it was reported that MLB officials andArizona Diamondbacks staff had travelled to Vancouver to assess BC Place's viability as a backup venue (due to structural concerns with the roof atChase Field), in addition to the overall viability of professional baseball in Vancouver.[132] Vancouver was mentioned as a potential expansion city by commissionerRob Manfred, as well as various journalistic insiders on multiple occasions, as recently as February 2024.[133][134] Vancouver was raised as a candidate for expansion once more in October 2025, as a result of the incredibly strong showing of Blue Jays fans in Seattle and Vancouver during the2025 ALCS against theSeattle Mariners, with Manfred stating “another city in Canada could clearly work for us” when asked about Vancouver in an interview.[135]
Vancouver is currently home to the NHL'sVancouver Canucks, the CFL'sBC Lions, and MLS'Vancouver Whitecaps, in addition to formerly being the home of the NBA'sVancouver Grizzlies, who played in the city from 1995 to 2001. The city currently has a baseball team, theMiLBHigh-AVancouver Canadians, who play at Nat Bailey Stadium.
MLB originated in 1903 with 16 teams, from the signing of the National Agreement between theNational League (founded 1876) and theAmerican League (founded 1901). Through a sequence of team expansions, contractions, and relocations, MLB currently consists of 30 teams. The United States is home to 29 teams and one is located in Canada.
The following table shows current MLB teams that participated in the2025 MLB season, in which city they are located, when the club was founded, joined MLB, number of times relocated and times the franchise name has changed.
