Orioles Should Move to Nashville (pitchers, stance, draft, ball)

[shinestx]

I can see the day soon when the teams in cities with multiple teams decide to relocate to greener pastures. This would be a result of the fact that there are a lot of great, rapidly growing cities that have no teams (or no baseball team) and they're in the regions of the USA where people are moving. These would be the NYC, Chicago, LA, and Bay area teams. The reason I think this is because MLB is not growing at a remarkably fast rate, and splitting up these teams would expand the geography. My picks in order of teams where the four teams might relocate are...

1. Austin
2. Charlotte
3. Nashville
4. Las Vegas

Then beyond that, expansion might be an option the league decides to take.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by shinestx

I can see the day soon when the teams in cities with multiple teams decide to relocate to greener pastures. This would be a result of the fact that there are a lot of great, rapidly growing cities that have no teams (or no baseball team) and they're in the regions of the USA where people are moving. These would be the NYC, Chicago, LA, and Bay area teams. The reason I think this is because MLB is not growing at a remarkably fast rate, and splitting up these teams would expand the geography. My picks in order of teams where the four teams might relocate are...

1. Austin
2. Charlotte
3. Nashville
4. Las Vegas

Then beyond that, expansion might be an option the league decides to take.

Leaving LA, Chicago, or NYC for any of the metro areas listed is a huge downgrade even if you're sharing the metro area. Not happening.

[CCrest182]

Originally Posted by shinestx

I can see the day soon when the teams in cities with multiple teams decide to relocate to greener pastures. This would be a result of the fact that there are a lot of great, rapidly growing cities that have no teams (or no baseball team) and they're in the regions of the USA where people are moving. These would be the NYC, Chicago, LA, and Bay area teams. The reason I think this is because MLB is not growing at a remarkably fast rate, and splitting up these teams would expand the geography. My picks in order of teams where the four teams might relocate are...

1. Austin
2. Charlotte
3. Nashville
4. Las Vegas

Then beyond that, expansion might be an option the league decides to take.

A split market in an MSA of 10+ million is always going to be more profitable than a sole team in a 2-3 million MSA, especially ones with history already ingrained in their respective cities. You look at the most profitable teams in MLB specifically.... even the secondary teams of big markets are among the most profitable. The small markets are less profitable, overall. Not to mention, you destroy a ton of the existing MLB fanbase by taking away those big market teams, and any "new" fans that would be made would not even come close to making up the losses. Therefore, must you relocate a team, it would make more sense to move a small market team that is not profitable, to a similar size or larger market for more profit, not the reverse (see Rays potentially moving to Montreal).

The Mets, White Sox, and Angels would not be moving to "greener" pastures by downsizing to a market a fraction of its size, and also in markets that have never been tested for pro sports before, and could end up being total flops in a decade or two. All of those teams have local, ardent fanbases with generations of fans at this point. With the exception of the A's, who have a poor stadium deal and who have not played in Oakland that long, I don't see LA/NY/Chi shedding any teams.

[Mike from back east]

IMO the Orioles would draw a lot more fans if they fielded a winning team. Owner Peter Angelos figured out years ago that he could put any team on the field and TV revenues would still come rolling in, why bother trying to build a contender when NY and Boston have massive amounts of money to buy up all the best players. He's happy to avoid bidding wars and field a team that tanks every year.

Speaking of tanking teams, my morning email from the NY Times had this to say:

"Spring training has begun, and MLB is suffering from a strange affliction: Some high-profile teams are not trying to win. The Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates have all jettisoned top players in recent trades, receiving only a modest return.

It’s deeply frustrating to fans. “Can you file a complaint on behalf of all Rockies fans with the BBB against Rockies management because this is just totally horrific?” one recently wrote to The Denver Post.

What’s going on? Baseball teams are businesses, and winning isn’t always the best route to profit. The teams receive substantial income from merchandise sales, television contracts and more. And the pandemic has crushed the form of revenue that depends most on performance — people buying tickets.

In response, several teams have chosen to reduce payroll. Their executives promise fans it’s part of a plan to add exciting young players later. “The teardown idea — some call it tanking — isn’t new,” The Times’s Tyler Kepner told us. “But it’s definitely more widespread now.”

As Tyler points out, many players are also frustrated, believing owners are behaving like a cartel that holds down salaries. The bargaining agreement expires after this season, and the next round of negotiations could be rocky."


So, it looks like Orioles fans are stuck with a losing team until new owners come along. . . .

If Nashville wants a team let them be an expansion team when / if MLB goes to 32 teams.

[sub]

Baltimore always struck me as being a pretty good baseball market. Of course winning sells tickets, losing doesn't.
That goes for everybody, even the supposed baseball big shots like Boston, St. Louis, etc.

There might be some shuffling around at some point.
Miami and Tampa are two of the weakest markets even when they're playing decent. I could see at least one of them moving out.
Nashville and Charlotte would be obvious contenders though I don't know they'd do a whole lot better in those places. Traditionally, that's not been baseball country, at least not in a big way.

I think it could be a long time before expansion happens. Hopefully MLB would be smart enough to know that their product is already more watered down and lopsided than it should be.

[Bondurant]

Originally Posted by shinestx

I can see the day soon when the teams in cities with multiple teams decide to relocate to greener pastures. This would be a result of the fact that there are a lot of great, rapidly growing cities that have no teams (or no baseball team) and they're in the regions of the USA where people are moving. These would be the NYC, Chicago, LA, and Bay area teams. The reason I think this is because MLB is not growing at a remarkably fast rate, and splitting up these teams would expand the geography. My picks in order of teams where the four teams might relocate are...

1. Austin
2. Charlotte
3. Nashville
4. Las Vegas

Then beyond that, expansion might be an option the league decides to take.

Oakland will move if someone builds them a stadium. Angels, Mets and White Sox are not moving in our lifetimes and not to any of the markets listed.

[Bumby88]

The commissioner has made it clear that there will be no expansion until the Rays and A's get their houses in order. The A's could stay in Oakland but only with a new stadium. If the city isn't offering any help perhaps nearby Sacramento or San Jose could make a play? The lease is up in 2024 so they'll need to agree on something soon, figuring in a 2 year window to build a stadium.

As someone mentioned, the Rays will be gone as soon as their lease ends in 2027. That means we should know where they're going by 2025. Montreal is all systems go support-wise, more than any US city for sure. I think Nashville would be great too as the southeast US is under-represented and that market is still booming.

I don't think it would happen but I'd prefer to see the Rays move to Orlando. The south side specifically, which is Disney territory and would be that much closer for whatever Tampa fans remained. (They claim the 20 mile ride to Tropicana Field takes an hour so they'll say this 60 mile ride takes 2 hours I'm sure....) The metro Orlando market is just a tad smaller than St Pete's but it also takes in 40+ million visitors per year.

[sluggermatt15]

Winning helps solve attendance issues.

[orca17]

Originally Posted by gobucks86

Yeah, but Baltimore needs to understand that doesn't always mean things to people. Ya know, they seem to have enjoyed the Cleveland Browns coming in 1995.

After the Colts were abruptly ripped away from them in 1984. Hardly the same thing.

[orca17]

Originally Posted by shinestx

I can see the day soon when the teams in cities with multiple teams decide to relocate to greener pastures. This would be a result of the fact that there are a lot of great, rapidly growing cities that have no teams (or no baseball team) and they're in the regions of the USA where people are moving. These would be the NYC, Chicago, LA, and Bay area teams. The reason I think this is because MLB is not growing at a remarkably fast rate, and splitting up these teams would expand the geography. My picks in order of teams where the four teams might relocate are...

1. Austin
2. Charlotte
3. Nashville
4. Las Vegas

Then beyond that, expansion might be an option the league decides to take.

There have been rumors for years in Las Vegas that the Athletics might move here. That may be due to the fact that their stadium situation is awful and apparently nowhere near resolution, and a western destination would eliminate the need for divisional realignment. The Golden Knights have proven that professional sports will work here, and the Raiders made a major investment in coming here.