What to know about West Sacramento's bid for MLB expansion team
Sacramento officially entered the national competition for a Major League Baseball expansion franchise this week, with regional leaders unveiling a $1.8 billion package of public and private commitments.
The bid faces stiff competition from Salt Lake City and Portland, and one critical piece is still missing: a primary owner.
Here are key takeaways:
- Regional officials launched the “Sacramento Pitch” Thursday at Drake’s The Barn in West Sacramento, with about $1 billion in public investment from West Sacramento and $500 million from two Native American tribes, according to coverage of the West Sacramento bid launch.
- A grassroots group called the Rivercities Baseball Initiative formed to lobby for the bid, with around 100 people signed up as of Thursday morning, co-founder Matt McDonald told The Sacramento Bee.
- Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob declined to join Sacramento’s campaign, preferring to buy an existing team rather than wait years for expansion, three people with knowledge of the situation said.
- Salt Lake City has committed $3.5 billion toward a ballpark-centered development, while Portland has $800 million in state bonds to repay stadium costs through MLB employees’ income taxes.
- MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred wants the expansion process settled by January 2029, when his term ends, with the league expected to grow from 30 to 32 teams, though finding an owner to pay the $2 billion-plus expansion fee remains Sacramento’s biggest hurdle.
- Some recognizable names are interested in investing with others possibly considering the opportunity.
- Sacramento has chased pro sports for decades, including Gregg Lukenbill’s 1987 “March on Baseball,” when he led 21,000 fans in 285 buses to an Oakland A’s game to demonstrate regional interest, per The Bee’s history of the region’s pursuit of franchises.
- The proposed 50-acre site sits in West Sacramento’s Bridge District near Sutter Health Park, where the A’s are temporarily playing before their planned 2028 move to Las Vegas, with developer Mark Friedman chairing the Sacramento Pitch steering committee.
- The Sacramento River Cats have led minor league baseball in attendance 10 times in 26 seasons, and the A’s have already recorded nine sellouts this season with 50 home games remaining, giving MLB real data points that competing cities cannot offer.
- Mark Friedman acknowledged the bid is essentially trying to “set the table, and then invite the guest of honor,” referring to the missing ownership group, as Sacramento competes with Portland, Salt Lake City and Vancouver for a western expansion slot.
Michael McGough
The Sacramento Bee