Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim’s motion to bring a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise to the city goes before council Wednesday, but not everyone agrees that it’s a winning idea.
If it’s approved — and that’s a big if — it would cost a lot of money.
“This is big-league economics, and the number of people who can make something like this work is a pretty small list of Canadians because you’re looking at probably $4 billion or north for expansion fees and then probably about $1.5 billion for a stadium. BC Place isn’t built for Major League Baseball specifications,” explained Tom Mayenknecht, host of The Sport Market on Sportsnet 650.
“So many things would have to break the right way for Vancouver to be seen as a more attractive candidate than some of the other plug-and-play cities that have been in line for years for an expansion franchise, including Nashville.”
Sim claims there’s at least one group interested in making this field of dreams a reality, but he won’t name names. He also promised the venture wouldn’t be funded by city coffers.
Right off the bat, there would be a lot of pressure on whoever nabs the winning bid, Mayenknecht tells 1130 NewsRadio.
“You also have to make sure there’s a sustainable plan, and with the Canadian dollar, you’ve got to be even more in tune with that, in terms of any long-term prospects for Major League Baseball.”
“…Yes, there are a lot of obstacles here, but there’s nothing wrong with seeing if this is at all a possibility.”
He understands that some people think the idea is silly, but admits he appreciates that the mayor is thinking along these lines.
“If things end up breaking in a positive way for Mayor Ken Sim, it’ll be because Major League Baseball wants to be in another Pacific gateway city to go along with the Seattle Mariners and to go along with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants. A lot of work to be done, but I also subscribe. Yes, there are a lot of obstacles here, but there’s nothing wrong with seeing if this is at all a possibility. And if it’s not a possibility this time around, maybe down the road.”
Part of the mayor’s motion reads: “Vancouver is home to a thriving, multicultural, and deeply engaged sports community, with strong attendance and support for professional teams in the NHL, PWHL, MLS, NSL, and CFL, among others.”
He also noted how the Vancouver Canadians enjoy “consistent and enthusiastic local support.”
So, does the city need another baseball team?
“Certainly, the sex appeal of being in a position where you could have a Vancouver franchise playing against the Toronto Blue Jays — that kind of stuff is at another level. That’s what makes the difference between Major League Baseball and minor league baseball. It’s a significant leap for sure,” said Mayenknecht.
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The motion comes as the Vancouver Canucks remain without a badly needed practice facility, although last week, President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford all but confirmed that it’ll likely happen at Brittania Rink. The city is also struggling to keep the Vancouver Whitecaps in town following issues with BC Place.
“Getting solutions in place for the Whitecaps, as an example, getting the practice facility in place so the Canucks are even more attractive to free agents — those are things that you can go a long way to saying you have a track record if those solutions are put in place. But there’s no clear pathway to confirm or guarantee the Whitecaps are going to be here, and I think that’s the concern of some people.”
Sim hasn’t said where a potential stadium would go, but speculated it could be built at the PNE, along the Burrard Inlet, or False Creek.
If passed, the mayor’s motion asks staff to return within 60 days with a draft Memorandum of Understanding to figure out the next steps.
It outlines, “That council direct staff to immediately initiate an open and competitive Expression of Interest (EOI) process to identify a qualified proponent and potential ownership group interested in pursuing a Major League Baseball expansion franchise in Vancouver.”
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In 2025, the commissioner of the MLB told Sportsnet that another Canadian city in the league could work when asked about Vancouver. But nothing, if anything, can happen until this December, when the league’s current collective bargaining agreement expires.