- Vancouver, Canada, joins the race for an MLB expansion team, adding competition.
- Mayor Ken Sim calls it a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity' for Vancouver.
- Salt Lake City remains a frontrunner with bipartisan support and funding plans.
SALT LAKE CITY — Another Western city is joining a crowded field of cities vying for an MLB expansion team, although it's unclear if that affects Utah's chances.
Leaders of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, approved a motion on Wednesday that launches a process to review the matter, noting that a "proponent group has signaled interest in exploring a bid for Vancouver."
"Vancouver has sought an MLB team in Canada since the 1980s, and was specifically mentioned by the MLB commissioner as a possible expansion team location in 2018," the document states, adding that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also signaled support for a second Canadian team during a television broadcast last year.
The measure directs Vancouver staff to "immediately initiate" a competitive expression of interest process, which aims to identify potential ownership groups that could support taking on an MLB franchise. It would also outline any partnerships with the city.
Vancouver has one "big four" franchise in the Vancouver Canucks NHL team, while also maintaining a "sustained strong fan base" for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the MLS, the document notes. It also acknowledges that many Canadians invade Seattle for MLB games, "particularly when the Toronto Blue Jays are visiting." The Blue Jays are currently the only MLB team in Canada.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim told CBC that starting the process to land an MLB team is a "once-in-a-generation opportunity."
"Our chance has arrived, and this should be a home run," he told the outlet.
The city also has several other professional sports teams, but its last "big four" expansion opportunity didn't last long. The NBA awarded Vancouver an expansion franchise in 1994, but the Grizzlies only lasted six seasons before relocating to Memphis, Tennessee, in 2001.
Regardless, it adds a new option for MLB to consider as it explores expansion — and a new Western option to boot. Manfred has signaled interest in selecting two cities, one in the East and another in the West, if the league does indeed grow.
Salt Lake City, which joined the race in 2023 through the coalition Big League Utah, is still considered one of the front-runners by league insiders, should the league grow. The Athletic was the latest to call it an MLB expansion front-runner in February, citing bipartisan support, a public funding plan and a "reputable anchor investor."
Big League Utah was launched by the Larry H. Miller Company, which acquired a chunk of land near Salt Lake City's Fairpark neighborhood that it plans to redevelop in the coming decades. That includes space for an MLB stadium. Utah leaders approved up to $900 million toward the construction of the ballpark, which the state would own, through a bill approved in 2024.
Several big leaguers seem to agree that Salt Lake has what it takes to be a big league city.
"It seems like you guys check all the boxes," Ian Desmond, a MLB two-time All-Star, told KSL last year, when MLB brought its Home Run Derby X to The Ballpark at America First Square.
Portland, Oregon, has also been a strong candidate among Western cities, while outlets have suggested others like Sacramento and Oakland in California, and San Antonio or Austin in Texas. Oakland was home to the Athletics until 2024, but the team has made Sacramento a temporary home before they're slated to relocate to Las Vegas in 2028.
Nashville, Tennessee, has long been considered the frontrunner for a team in the East. There's still no solid timeframe for when MLB will announce its selections, but Manfred said last year that he would like to have cities picked by the time he plans to retire in 2029.
