Vancouver’s MLB expansion bid faces significant obstacle

Whenever rumors swirl around Major League Baseball expanding to a new market, a few things happen. The residents of the city in question who count themselves as baseball fans get excited. The feasibility of financing a stadium and bankrolling a big league franchise is explored by prospective owners.

And the city in question explores whether it has the necessary land — and the political will — to develop into a stadium site. MORE: Tributes pour in after four-time MLB All-Star, manager dies Only one of those boxes is already checked in Vancouver, British Columbia, where professional baseball has been played for more than a century . The Toronto Blue Jays’ Class-A affiliate has been located in Vancouver since 2011.

Not since 1977 has the city been without a pro team. Vancouver mayor Ken Sim reportedly told  Business in Vancouver that he will introduce a motion at an April 22 council meeting that directs staff to initiate a process that attracts potential ownership groups interested in pursuing an expansion franchise. Besides its baseball tradition, Vancouver offers commissioner Rob Manfred some strong selling points if and when MLB is ready to expand.

It’s the third-largest media market in Canada behind Toronto and Montreal, and slightly smaller (approximately 2. 7 million in the greater metro area) than Denver (approximately 3. 0 million), the 17th-largest media market in the United States.