During a press conference before the All-Star Game, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred indicated that the league intends to explore potential expansion to 32 teams in the near future. However, this exploration is expected to happen after the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics have resolved their respective stadium situations. Manfred also mentioned that the Athletics have begun the process of filing their relocation paperwork, a necessary step in their efforts to move to Las Vegas, Nevada.
The timing of MLB’s consideration for expansion after the resolution of the Rays and A’s stadium issues is not surprising. Pro sports leagues often prefer to keep viable markets open, as it allows them to leverage potential relocation possibilities against existing markets.
The mention of the Tampa Bay area in these talks is somewhat ironic, considering it was once a prime location for MLB to build new stadiums. However, the potential relocation of the Athletics to Las Vegas seems to be progressing. The state of Nevada recently approved $380 million in public funding to support the construction of a new ballpark near the Las Vegas Strip. If the Athletics successfully relocate, they will become the second MLB team in recent memory to move across state lines, following the relocation of the Montreal Expos to Washington, D.C. in 2005, where they became the Nationals.