Earlier this week, ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote about the possibility of MLB expansion, noting that there are already a few cities in the lead to possibly receive new franchises. Those cities are Salt Lake City, Nashville, Raleigh, Portland, Orlando, and Montreal.
Of course, the impending fight over a new collective bargaining agreement will be an obstacle to expansion, but it’s something that both the owners and players likely align on. More teams means more revenue for the league and more job opportunities for players. The rest of the CBA will be contentious, but this plank feels like something that could be agreed upon quickly.
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Passan notes that commissioner Rob Manfred has stated that he wants two new expansion teams, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast, before his planned retirement in January of 2029. That means the process would likely begin in earnest as soon as a new CBA is ratified.
Each of the six cities listed above have their own unique case for why they should receive a team, but Nashville is one that should particularly be of interest in regard to the Phillies. If you remember, Dave Dombrowski was a large part of an effort to begin building a baseball infrastructure in Nashville before he was hired to be the Phillies president of baseball operations. It’s likely that Dombrowski will receive a new contract with the Phillies soon, as his current one expires following 2027. However, one cannot be sure that he won’t feel the pull of building something completely new again if Nashville does indeed win the expansion sweepstakes.
In any case, it certainly appears as though we will see two new MLB teams in our near future. So, where do you think the possible expansion teams will be?
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