It’s apparent there are (and have long been) two teams in desperate need of a new stadium - either in town or in a new zip code: Tampa Bay and Oakland. The possibility to go to 32 also can’t be ruled out, though I’d suspect finding the Rays and A’s suitable homes is top priority.
For any other baseball fans out there what do you expect or hope to see?
When it comes to the A’s I wouldn’t be wildly surprised to see them follow the Raiders to Vegas - especially since the Giants’ market rights rule out San Jose. A move to Vegas would be a move the Oakland fan base doesn’t deserve, but the Coliseum also has been out of date since Jose Canseco was wearing green and gold.
Tampa Bay has no more than 5 years to figure it out in Florida’s sun coast and the Ybor Harbor project is dead, so given their flirtatious two-city idea, I could see the Rays wind up as the Montreal Expos part deux.
The short list of candidate cities for the A’s, the Rays, an outlier like the Southsiders, or expansion team would likely include:
Charlotte
Montreal
Nashville
Las Vegas
San Antonio
Portland
Austin
Vancouver
I’d love to throw New York/Brooklyn on here as a baseball fan to see the city showcase an NL subway rivalry once more and 3 teams overall (and they have the population to support it), but no chance in hell the Yankees and Mets would offer up their rights.
My predictions for the 2030s:
AL EAST: Boston, NY Yankees, Baltimore, Washington (the Nationals make the jump, leaving Montreal as an NL city and setting up the Nat’s own regional rivalry with the O’s. And as crazy as it sounds to have a team named the Washington Nationals in the American League, it happened before).
AL NORTH: Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Chi Sox (Toronto loses the Yankees and Red Sox matchups, but regains a renewed rival from the late 80s in Detroit. The Chi Sox are in a below average stadium in an awful part of town, but I think they either get plans for a new home in Chicago or bolt to the suburbs - otherwise there’s an outside shot the Pale Hose - who have threatened to leave before - consider an option like Charlotte).
AL CENTRAL: Minnesota, KC, Texas, Houston (the Twins lose their White Sox connection but keep division foe KC and they and the Royals join the Texas duo)
AL WEST: Seattle, Los Angeles Angels, Las Vegas A’s, Colorado (the Rockies make the jump and the A’s follow the Raiders to sin city)
NL EAST: Montreal, NY Mets, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh (the Rays head up to Montreal and swap leagues with Washington. And while a renewed NL Subway rivalry in NYC would be ideal here, I just don’t see it happening so instead Pittsburgh goes East, reigniting the Keystone State rivalry with the Phillies).
NL CENTRAL: Cincinnati, Chi Cubs, St. Louis, Milwaukee (3 old Midwest NL frenemies, and Milwaukee keeps their spot).
NL SOUTH: Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Tampa (Charlotte lands an expansion team and Tampa becomes sports’ next version of a city receiving a team just after the previous one vacated - DC with the Senators, KC with the Royals, Cleveland with the Browns, being some others. If that doesn’t happen for Tampa, I could easily see a San Antonio or Nashville in that place here).
NL WEST: SF Giants, LA Dodgers, San Diego, Arizona
