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MLB Expansion Race Intensifies as Sacramento Launches Formal Bid

Commissioner Rob Manfred has pushed for two new markets before 2029 and the league’s labor, valuation and stadium issues will decide when and where teams are added.

Overview

  • Commissioner Rob Manfred has publicly said MLB is actively thinking about expansion to add two franchises to enable geographic realignment and cut travel for players.
  • USA Today reporting named Salt Lake City and Nashville as current heavy favorites for MLB’s 31st and 32nd teams, boosting organized local campaigns in both markets.
  • On Thursday, May 28, Greater Sacramento formally unveiled The Sacramento Pitch centered on a fully entitled 50-acre West Sacramento site and nearly $2 billion in public‑private commitments.
  • Sacramento’s bid stresses a live audition because the Oakland A’s are temporarily playing there, while other contenders such as Big League Utah, Portland, Vancouver and Montreal continue to advance stadium and ownership plans.
  • Leaguewide prerequisites — a new collective bargaining agreement, an expansion fee that may rise with recent franchise valuations, and unresolved stadium or relocation cases like the Rays — remain the key constraints on timing and final site selection.