Mayor-Elect of Portland Keith Wilson seemed hopeful that Portland will be able to secure a Major League Baseball team.
Wilson mentioned attending a meeting regarding the city’s attempt to bring an MLB to Portland to Laurel Porter, host of Straight Talk on KGW-TV. He left the discussion with a positive outlook on the city’s prospects.
Wilson said to Porter, “I think this is as close as we’ve come.” We are certain that it will come down to only one city and us. Additionally, we’re playing well.
The initiative to bring an MLB franchise to Portland is being led by the Portland Diamond Project. In September, the organization revealed plans to buy land at Zidell Yards on the South Waterfront in order to construct a new stadium.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has stated that until the stadium issues with the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays are settled, no decisions about a possible MLB expansion would be made.
With a new $1.5 billion stadium expected to open in 2028, it appears that the Athletics will eventually move to Las Vegas. In 2025, the Athletics will visit Sacramento.
The Rays’ predicament is even more ambiguous and intricate.
In October, Tropicana Field, the Rays’ home stadium in St. Petersburg, had a large portion of its fiberglass roof destroyed by Hurricane Milton’s strong winds. The St. Petersburg City Council first approved $23 million of the $55.7 million estimated cost of repairs. Hours later, the council changed its mind.
The council then postponed voting on public funding for the team’s 2028 opening of a proposed $1.3 billion stadium in St. Petersburg. In 2025, the Rays will host their games in Tampa, Florida’s George M. Steinbrenner Field. According to MLB.com, the Rays’ short- and long-term prospects in St. Petersburg are uncertain after 2025.
Manfred stated that he anticipates receiving an expansion decision prior to the end of his current term in 2029, provided MLB can promptly address the Rays stadium issue. In the event that an expansion announcement is made, a team would probably start playing in 2031.
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