For a while, there was a silver lining of hope in Oakland. The A’s were packing up for Las Vegas, and maybe…just maybe, the hope was that MLB would one day bring a fresh team back to the East Bay. And why not, right? It is a city that’s lived and breathed baseball for well over half a century.
Commissioner Rob Manfred had dangled that hope for years, that expansion would not happen until the Oakland and Tampa Bay stadium issues were solved. Well, the A’s have officially broken ground on their new Vegas stadium. They are aiming for a 2028 opening, and as for the Rays, they are inching closer too.
A deal is in motion to sell the team to a Florida-based group, which is led by Patrick Zalupski, who already has eyes on building a stadium in Tampa. But now another gut punch of news is coming from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
In his piece, Nightengale mentioned, “Major League Baseball believes the strongest two expansion markets remain Salt Lake City, Utah, and Nashville, with no plans to put an expansion franchise back into Oakland.” Ouch! Just like that, the door that never was fully closed has been slammed shut by the league. And well, Nashville is honestly continuing to make all the right moves for this to happen.
Their Music City Baseball group is completely star-studded. From Eddie George, Barry Zito, R.A. Dickey, and legends like Don Mattingly to Tony La Russa. Plus, they even seem to have a name ready to go—the Nashville Stars. It’s a name paying homage to the Negro League team that had once called the city home.
Salt Lake City isn’t far behind either. Backed by the powerful Larry H. Miller Company, the Big League Utah group has been getting some serious support, too. With the Millers already running major soccer franchises in the state, adding MLB to their roster feels like the most sensible next thing to do. So while fans in Oakland once dreamed of a second chance, it is looking more and more like the league has moved on for now.
MLB’s Kansas City Royals face stadium deadline and trade decisions
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals are staring down a tight deadline now. With the lease at Kauffman Stadium set to expire in 2031, the franchise is insisting that it won’t renew. Yet, after more than a year of scouting for new locations, they still have not closed on a site. Meanwhile, their NFL cousins, the Kansas City Chiefs, are closer to making a call. Either an $800 million Arrowhead renovation or a $3 billion domed stadium. This just puts more pressure on the Royals to get the wheels moving.
Estimates say that an MLB Royals ballpark could cost anything between $1 billion and $2 billion. That too, with more than half that still is unfunded. Missouri has approved a state funding bill, but if both teams cross over into Kansas, then those STAR bond funds might fall short. For now, though, the franchise is keeping its cards close. “We’ve been consistent that we’re exploring all options. When we have something that’s ready to share, we will do it,” team spokesperson Sam Mellinger said.
But while they are right now walking on these blueprints, maybe they also have roster details to rethink. The Royals are sitting at 47-52, stuck in a no man’s land. Plus, even the trade deadline is looming large. The Athletic’s Zack Meisel thinks that the Kansas City Royals are also leaning towards selling. Seth Lugo, the veteran pitcher, is having a strong season after he finished second in Cy Young voting last year, so he might be on top of the list. Plus, with free agency coming, flipping him for a good prospect might be the smart move.
The Chiefs have set their stadium deadline for this year. So, maybe they need to pick up the pace—fast.
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