City Mayor Makes Pitch for MLB Expansion Team

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred isn’t afraid to change the landscape of his sport.

We’ve seen the introduction of the pitch clock, the ghost runner in extra innings, and, this season, the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) shift how baseball is consumed across North America.

But one thing that he hasn’t brought to the league that he has openly talked about wanting is expansion.

With 30 teams, Manfred wants to add at least two more to the fold to match other peer leagues with 32 franchises.

The only issue for the MLB has been the current situation with the Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays, who have been in purgatory when it comes to finding a permanent home field.

With that seemingly coming to a close, with the Rays furthering towards a new stadium to stay in Tampa Bay and the Athletics two years away from playing in Las Vegas, Manfred can begin searching for the two cities he believes can thrive in MLB.

And one city is already planning to give it its best shot.

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Vancouver mayor Ken Sim wants to throw his city’s hat in the ring for an MLB expansion team, announcing his interest in bringing a franchise to the northwest Canadian city this week.

“Our city has a strong sports culture and a proven track record of supporting professional teams,” Sim said in a statement. “With the MLB publicly expressing interest in league expansion in the near future, we see an opportunity to position Vancouver as the next home for a franchise.”

If the Vancouver City Council approves Sim’s plan, they will begin searching for a possible ownership group to spearhead the bid for an MLB team in the city.

Vancouver is not the only northwest city in North America hoping to gain an MLB expansion team, though, as Portland is already in the process of a bid with its Portland Diamond Project.

Along with cities like Nashville and Charlotte, the race to become the MLB’s No. 31 and No. 32 franchises is coming sooner rather than later.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 5:01 PM.