Utah's MLB pitch is 'by far the most advanced potential bid,' leading insider says

SALT LAKE CITY — Major League Baseball's expansion is all but certain, and Utah's capital city still appears to have the most momentum heading into a pivotal moment in the process, according to one of baseball's top insiders.

ESPN reporter Jeff Passan offered one of the most detailed breakdowns of the expansion race to date on Tuesday, placing Salt Lake City at the top of the field of six North American cities that he vetted for expansion viability.

While Salt Lake City's media market is 28th in the U.S., the lowest among five other U.S. cities in the race, it has an owner in the Larry H. Miller Company, stadium funding — through a bill the Utah Legislature passed in 2024 — and a stadium site already lined up at the forthcoming Power District. No other contender has put together those three key checkmarks so far, Passan points out.

"By far the most advanced potential bid, Salt Lake City is the closest scenario to a turnkey operation," he wrote. "The experience of the Miller family, who saved the Jazz from moving and shepherded them for more than three decades, gives owners confidence in the stability of the bid."

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has long signaled support for two expansion teams, one in the East and one in the West.

Gov. Spencer Cox joined Passan on his podcast, "Sources Tell Jeff Passan," to make Utah's case. The governor said there's a bipartisan "vision" for an MLB team, and the success of the Utah Mammoth shows that while it's a smaller market, it's large enough to support multiple "big four" professional sports teams — and it's still growing.

"It's not enough to just have a market. You have to have people within that market that actually care about the product," he said. "That's where Utah exceeds many of these other places ... The box seats and the sponsorships are more on par with a larger market, and I think that's one of the things that makes Utah really unique and really fascinating."

Beyond market size, there does appear to be concern from MLB over the Great Salt Lake's reduction, Passan said. That's an issue that Utah is still trying to tackle, Cox responded.

Nashville, Tennessee, came in second in Passan's analysis to lead all options in the East. Although it has no owner, stadium site, or funding put together, the market's "cultural relevance, popularity within the game (and) a city that feels bigger than its demographics" help its case, he wrote.

Raleigh, North Carolina placed third on his list. Portland, Oregon placed fourth and was the second-highest Western city considered.

Orlando, Florida came in fifth, while Montreal, Canada completed the rankings. Vancouver, Canada and Sacramento, California have each entered the chat this year, but weren't considered.

All of it came with a caveat. Passan doesn't believe any new teams will be on the field until 2032, citing logistics, meaning new frontrunners could emerge in the expansion process.

Stephen Nesbitt, senior MLB writer for The Athletic, and USA Today MLB columnist Bob Nightengale have also listed Salt Lake City as "heavy favorites" in expansion talks this year, largely for the same reasons that Passan laid out.

Multiple MLB veterans told KSL last year that they could see Salt Lake City being a viable market.

"I think this would be the perfect place to have a major league team. I think it would bring a lot of fans," said Todd Frazier, a two-time MLB All-Star.

There's still one big looming task before expansion talks really heat up. MLB's current collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Players Association ends in December, and many fear it could lead to a lockout that could delay the 2027 season.

However, if the new deal approves expansion, MLB's process of finding two new markets could begin. The league last expanded in 1998.

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