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Pros and cons of MLB expansion in Salt Lake City

By Drew Koch

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 11: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays stands on first base during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on April 11, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 11: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays stands on first base during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on April 11, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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MLB expansion
OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 03: A detailed view of a catchers mask belonging to the St. Louis Cardinals hanging in the dugout prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game against the Oakland Athletics at Ring Central Coliseum on August 3, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Pros of MLB expansion in Salt Lake City

The benefits of baseball in Salt Lake City are numerous. According to Jeff Passan, the consortium has already targeted a  100-acre mixed-use zone located between Salt Lake City’s new airport and its downtown core. So there’s the first, and perhaps, biggest hurdle out of the way.

Securing a site for a new ballpark should be priority No. 1, and it would appear that Salt Lake City has already outlined where they’d like to build. It also sounds as if the group has the support of the Utah governor and former major league player and Utah resident, Dale Murphy.

As far as location, Salt Lake City has become a huge destination in recent years, as Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the US. While it’s not necessarily a large market, the Utah Jazz of the NBA consistently draw great crowds to the Vivant arena year in an year out.

There’s also no real competing baseball market to speak of. Outside of maybe the Colorado Rockies, there aren’t going to be too many baseball enthusiasts whose fandom is already tied to a local team. That worry would certainly exist in Nashville (Atlanta Braves), Portland (Seattle Mariners), and Charlotte (Atlanta Braves).

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