Where should the next MLB expansion teams be placed?

[President Tyrion]

So, I decided I'm on board with expansion, so we can make the leagues even and kill this "Interleague Every Day" nonsense.

Montreal could support a team, provided they have competent ownership.

Havana could support a team, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The international relations just aren't in a place where that could work in the near future.

The Mexican League doesn't strike me as popular enough that Mexico could support a team.

Hence, I voted for San Juan, Puerto Rico. MLB did try playing quite a few games there, after all, so there is intent. I think that if we want to add a team to an existing baseball town, NYC can easily support 3 teams, so it should go there. However, I'm sure I'd rather see a team in Puerto Rico than another team in NYC, if just for the aesthetics of the thing.

I'd like to see the 3 divisions remain, though. San Juan could go in the NL Central, and Montreal could go to the AL East, with Toronto moving to the AL Central. No interesting rivalries get split this way, at least.

[MasterJedi]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2013-misc.shtml

Looking at attendance figures, I might move the Rays or Royals instead of Milwaukee actually. As bad as Cleveland's figures are, I'm hesitant to move a team that has been in the same place for 100 years (this also applies to the Pirates and Reds).

And last year the Brewer's attendance was the lowest since 2006 (which was lower then last year). No reason to move the Brewers at all, support their team a lot more then a ton of other underperforming teams.

The problem is, unless you decide geography is more important than tradition and break up the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry by moving St. Louis into the new NL South so that they don't play in the same division, then the Brewers seem to be the most logical candidate to cut from the NL Central to make it a four team division.  But geographically, leaving them in the NL would be odd as they'd be smack dab in the middle of the NL Central.  Moving them to the AL Central just switches one problem for another.

About the only other alternative would be to move Pittsburgh from the NL Central into the NL East so they can reintensify their rivalry with the Phillies and put the new Charlotte team in the NL South instead of the NL East, and then either place the Monterrey expansion team in the AL South (which would eliminate any chance of a Toronto-Monterrey World Series) or shift the Rockies there and except for returning the Brewers to the AL from which it came, I'd like to avoid league shifts.

Now are you just talking about switching leagues or actually moving the team to another city? If it's just switching leagues I'm opposed because I like the pure baseball with the pitcher hitting that the NL plays but other then that it's not as big a deal switching leagues though the Brewers do have strong rivalries with the Cardinals and Cubs and outside last year have owned the Pirates.

If you're talking about moving the team to another city, well then hell no.

[Gass3268]

Get rid of the AL/NL and go to a geographic set up like the NBA and NHL.

Eastern League

Northeast
Boston Red Sox
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies

Southeast
Atlanta Braves
Baltimore Orioles
Charlotte Knights (expansion)
Washington Nationals

Central
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Nashville Sounds (expansion)
Pittsburgh Pirates

South
Houston Astros
Miami Marlins
Tampa Bay Rays
Texas Rangers

Western League

North
Detroit Tigers
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
Toronto Blue Jays

Midwest
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals
St. Louis Cardinals

Mountain
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
San Diego Padres
Seattle Mariners

Pacific
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Dodgers
Oakland Athletics
San Francisco Giants

[Хahar 🤔]

Get rid of the AL/NL

diaf

[Hatman 🍁]

Let's create a super large MLB for fun. Let's add foreign teams in Montreal, San Juan and Monterrey, some of the fan deadzones on that NYT map, and some extras:

-Tidewater (Virginia Beach)
-Carolina (Charlotte)
-Jacksonville
-Orlando
-New Orleans
-Memphis
-Nashville
-Oklahoma City
-Omaha
-Albuquerque
-Indianapolis
-Las Vegas
-Salt Lake City
-Portland
-Brooklyn

48 teams, 24 per league with 4 divisions of 6 teams each:

American League
East
*Baltimore
*Boston
*NY Yankees
*Toronto
*Tidewater
*Brooklyn

South
*Tampa Bay
*Houston
*Texas
*Monterrey
*Jacksonville
*New Orleans

Central
*Chicago WS
*Cleveland
*Detroit
*Kansas City
*Minnesota
*Nashville

West
*LA Angels
*Oakland
*Seattle
*Albuquerque
*Las Vegas
*Salt Lake City

National League
East
*NY Mets
*Philadelphia
*Montreal
*Washington
*Pittsburgh
*Carolina

South
*Atlanta
*Miami
*San Juan
*Oklahoma City
*Orlando
*Memphis

Central
*Chicago Cubs
*Cincinnati
*Milwaukee
*St. Louis
*Indianapolis 
*Omaha

West
*Arizona
*Colorado
*LA Dodgers
*San Diego
*San Francisco
*Portland

[© tweed]

the only potential candidate for relocation is Tampa Bay, since San Diego and Miami both have fairly new parks.

Oakland?

[politicallefty]

Add Portland and restore the Montreal Expos. Then, with 16 teams in each league, divide each into four divisions of four teams.

I think it'd be interesting if expansion of a team or two could happen in Japan, but logistics obviously prevent that from happening.

Sacramento's already got an NBA team. It's not big enough to support another team.

Even if it could, I'm not sure it would want to. Sacramento is very much Giants country.

[Sopranos Republican]

It's time to bring the Dodgers home, obviously. Also Austin, TX.

It's time to bring the Dodgers home, obviously.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A million times this.

Anyway here is my dream scenario:

AL East:

Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Montreal Athletics
New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central:

Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Havana Sugar Daddy's (Cleveland relocates, and yes I'm a dick)
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins

AL West:
Austin Bullets (Rays relocate, having fun with the name. )
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers

NL East:

Atlanta Braves
Brooklyn Dodgers
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals

NL Central:

Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals

NL West:

Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Stars (Marlins relocate; name based off of old Pacific Coast League: Hollywood Stars)
Portland Pines (D-backs relocate)
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants

[MurrayBannerman]

If I had my druthers I'd create teams in Charlotte and Monterrey and move Milwaukee to Salt Lake.  (Technically, Milwaukee could move to any of the three new cities, but I like the incongruity of the Brewers being the name of the team there.)  The move of Milwaukee does three things.  It gets a small market team into what should be a better situation where the team would not be overshadowed by the two nearby Chicago clubs.  It also is the cleanest way to preserve the existing rivalries of the other four NL Central teams if baseball goes to a four division structure, which it likely would if it expands to 32 teams. Last but not least, going to Salt Lake returns the Brewers to the American League.  For reasons of geography, if Milwaukee loses its team and Charlotte, Monterrey, and Salt Lake gain theirs, this is how I would align the divisions:

AL Central   Chicago White Sox   Cleveland Indians   Detroit Tigers   Minnesota Twins AL East   Baltimore Orioles   Boston Red Sox   New York Yankees   Toronto Blue Jays AL South   Houston Astros (from AL West)   Kansas City Royals (from AL Central)   Salt Lake Brewers (ex-Milwaukee from NL Central)   Tampa Bay Rays (from AL East) AL West   Anaheim Angels   Oakland Athletics   Seattle Mariners   Texas Rangers

NL Central   Chicago Cubs   Cincinnati Reds   Pittsburgh Pirates   St. Louis Cardinals NL East   Charlotte Knights   New York Mets   Philadelphia Phillies   Washington Nationals NL South   Atlanta Braves (from NL East)   Colorado Rockies (from NL West)   Miami Marlins (from NL East)   Monterrey Sultans NL West   Arizona Diamondbacks   Los Angeles Dodgers   San Diego Padres   San Francisco Giants

 

Why move a team from Milwaukee where there is actually support for the team? Why not move a team where nobody really cares about them like the Oakland A's, Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays and they have trouble filling the stands?

You can't just move teams.

The Rays will have a new stadium fairly soon that doesn't have the problem of only, realistically, being accessible by about 30% of the Tampa area for games. Oakland will never leave California, Lew Wolf won't let it happen. Cleveland will never leave either. They're in a fairly solid baseball market.

[MurrayBannerman]

Portland already has plans for a MLB stadium and Montreal can deal with Olympic Stadium until a more appropriate stadium is built. The main key here is infrastructure and both of these cities are at least prepared to provide it.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Portland doesn't even have a minor league team at the moment and they have hopes of landing a major league team?  Hope really does spring eternal.  With a decent stadium, I can see them luring yet another incarnation of the Portland Beavers in the PCL, but even with expansion, I don't think Portland can support a major league team.

[MaxQue]

Portland doesn't even have a minor league team at the moment and they have hopes of landing a major league team?  Hope really does spring eternal.  With a decent stadium, I can see them luring yet another incarnation of the Portland Beavers in the PCL, but even with expansion, I don't think Portland can support a major league team.

Montreal doesn't have a minor team and yet is seriously hoping getting back a team. The stadium is an issue, through. Stade Olympique is too far from the downtown.

[MurrayBannerman]

Portland doesn't even have a minor league team at the moment and they have hopes of landing a major league team?  Hope really does spring eternal.  With a decent stadium, I can see them luring yet another incarnation of the Portland Beavers in the PCL, but even with expansion, I don't think Portland can support a major league team.

They have the construction and funding plans in place to obtain a major league stadium. These are major hurdles, as seen in Oakland and with the Cubs, that are already accomplished. Now they just have to build the thing.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Portland doesn't even have a minor league team at the moment and they have hopes of landing a major league team?  Hope really does spring eternal.  With a decent stadium, I can see them luring yet another incarnation of the Portland Beavers in the PCL, but even with expansion, I don't think Portland can support a major league team.

Montreal doesn't have a minor team and yet is seriously hoping getting back a team. The stadium is an issue, through. Stade Olympique is too far from the downtown.

Their hopes may be serious, but the reality is they won't.  They might be able to revive the Montreal Royals of the IL

[MasterJedi]

Portland doesn't even have a minor league team at the moment and they have hopes of landing a major league team?  Hope really does spring eternal.  With a decent stadium, I can see them luring yet another incarnation of the Portland Beavers in the PCL, but even with expansion, I don't think Portland can support a major league team.

Montreal doesn't have a minor team and yet is seriously hoping getting back a team. The stadium is an issue, through. Stade Olympique is too far from the downtown.

Their hopes may be serious, but the reality is they won't.  They might be able to revive the Montreal Royals of the IL

Ernest, you just don't understand that expansion is inevitable. It's just a matter of when and not if. All of the big sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) will expand within the next 10-20 years.

[Hatman 🍁]

Wait, Montreal is seriously trying to get the Expos back? ROFLMAO.

[Flake]

Orlando and somewhere around the Norfolk/Charlotte area. Maybe Raleigh?

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

San Juan, PR
Charlotte/Raleigh, NC
San Antonio, TX
Omaha, NE

[The Dowager Mod]

Montreal or portland.

[traininthedistance]

I feel like expansion to 32 is an obvious thing to do- the NFL can support that many teams just fine and it evens things out to stop the constant interleague games for people who care about that.

As I mentioned above, the first choice should definitely be in VA/NC- Tidewater, Raleigh, or Charlotte, with preference for the first two since the Braves do appear to have a bit of a fanbase in/around Charlotte.  Tidewater needs a team the most, and maybe the NBA would be a slightly better choice given their size, but baseball would do much better than the NFL there- it is still R******s country.

As for the second one, I'm more agnostic but the two locales that immediately come to mind are Portland and San Juan.

As for other metros that need a sports team of some sort, San Antonio is the next obvious choice- but the team San Antonio really wants is a relocated Jacksonville Jaguars.

[MaxQue]

Wait, Montreal is seriously trying to get the Expos back? ROFLMAO.

Yes, they are even thinking about building a new staduim.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Ernest, you just don't understand that expansion is inevitable. It's just a matter of when and not if. All of the big sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) will expand within the next 10-20 years.

I agree expansion to 32 is inevitable.  Portland and Montreal getting MLB teams are not.

[nolesfan2011]

Montreal and Charlotte

[Badger]

Miami, Toronto and Houston should be moved or contracted.

How about we move the Jays down south in exchange for the Phoenix Coyotes moving to Quebec?

Deal. You can take the entire NHL  while you're at it.

I like this idea!!

Awwwww, I love when dumb*** Americans make it a point to acknowledge hockey is too much for them. 

[Gass3268]

Miami, Toronto and Houston should be moved or contracted.

How about we move the Jays down south in exchange for the Phoenix Coyotes moving to Quebec?

Deal. You can take the entire NHL  while you're at it.

I like this idea!!

Awwwww, I love when dumb*** Americans make it a point to acknowledge hockey is too much for them.