If there is an expansion, Vancouver claims to be ready.
It appears that Vancouver, British Columbia is raising the stakes in a possible Major League Baseball expansion sweepstakes. Vancouver, which has the weight of the city government behind a potential bid, has someone who might want to own a team. Zack Ross who is the president of a local real estate company called Cape Group. Ross will lead The Show Vancouver Bid Corporation which was selected by the city council over other bidders. The city and the potential owners will lobby MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in an effort to land an expansion team. Vancouver has city support, a potential owner but there are two major obstacles that need to be overcome. Vancouver has no baseball facility and the Canadian dollar is around 71 cents US. Major League Baseball operates with American dollars so an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion expansion fee is equal to $2.8 billion to $4.2 billion Canadian.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim claims that the city will not provide funding or give up public land to build a Major League Baseball venue. The baseball stadium for the Las Vegas Athletics franchise that is under construction and scheduled to open in 2028 is costing an estimated $2 billion which is $2.8 billion Canadian. It will be an expensive enterprise for whomever ends up owning a Major League Baseball team in Vancouver. Vancouver is the third biggest market in Canada behind Toronto and Montréal with around 3,000,000 people. That is big enough to support a Major League Baseball team. But is there enough corporate support? Vancouver is trying to keep Major League Soccer in town and that could complicate its MLB efforts. Investors in Nashville, Salt Lake City, Raleigh, Sacramento, Montréal, Austin, Orlando and Charlotte also might bid for a team. It is a crowded field.
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