News

Rob Manfred Announces MLB Expansion Fee Would Be $2.2 Billion

The commissioner of Major League Baseball has come out with a ballpark estimate for possible expansion team fees.

Rob Manfred stated on Tuesday that he expects the cost for a potential expansion team to join the league to be around $2.2 billion. This is based on the average value of current MLB franchises, which falls close to that number. Baseball has not had an expansion at the major league level since 1998, when the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Rays paid $130 million to join the league. Prior to that, the Colorado Rockies and the Miami Marlins paid $95 million in 1993.

Manfred has said in the past that he will not consider an expansion for the league until the Rays and the Oakland Athletics have new stadiums. This could take some time to develop, as Oakland has a proposal for a stadium in the Howard Terminal area, which is in the downtown part of the city, while Tampa will not act until 2028, when their lease at Tropicana Field ends. The team has said they will look into splitting time between Tampa and Montreal starting that year. However, nothing is final as of now.

Manfred has listed a number of possible locations for an expansion team, including Charlotte, North Carolina; Las Vegas; Montreal; Nashville, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

In the same statement, Manfred spoke about the MLB’s decision to move the All-Star Game from Atlanta to Colorado following changes to Georgia’s voting laws. Manfred said that he believed it was the right thing to do for baseball, and that it protected the players from having to make any moral or political decisions in regard to the game.

Grayson Ruhl

Recent Posts

Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado Invokes No-Trade Clause, Isn’t Going To Houston – For Now

St. Louis Cardinals superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado has blocked a trade to the Houston…

15 hours ago

Brian Callahan: ‘Complete And Utter BS’ To Call 3-11 Titans ‘Soft’

The Tennessee Titans haven't had the season they wanted. For one thing, they're 3-11 heading…

1 day ago

49ers’ Isaac Guerendo Likely Out, Team Will Turn To Fourth-String RB Patrick Taylor Jr.

The San Francisco 49ers will reportedly compete without running back Isaac Guerendo in Week 16,…

2 days ago

Benched Kirk Cousins, The ‘Best No. 2 QB In The NFL,’ Cheers On Falcons’ Starter Michael Penix Jr.

The Atlanta Falcons announced Tuesday that rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. would start the team's…

3 days ago

Patriots’ Drake Maye Stands By Head Coach Jerod Mayo, Denies Job Security Concerns

In the midst of a 3-11 season with a rookie quarterback, first-year Patriots head coach…

3 days ago

Giants To Start Quarterback Drew Lock In Week 16 Against Falcons And Michael Penix Jr.

The New York Giants will start quarterback Drew Lock in Week 16 against the Atlanta…

3 days ago