Could Major League Baseball come to Portland?
Sep 8, 2026, 6:39 PM UTC
The Portland Trail Blazers have been the big dog in the professional sports yard in the City of Roses for five decades. Portland has welcomed soccer clubs, other basketball teams, and minor-league baseball, but no NFL or MLB franchise has sidled up alongside the Blazers to satiate the town’s appetite for big-name sports.
According to [an article by ESPN](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49863028/mlb-expansion-favorites-candidates-salt-lake-city-nashville-montreal-raleigh), there’s at least a chance of that changing. Portland was mentioned among a half-dozen contending cities who might be the next step in Major League Baseball expansion. The city has potential funding for a stadium (provided by the state) and a site earmarked for the field. They do not have an owner, but if one could be found, the possibility lies open.
The most prominent competition for Portland in the Western U.S. is Salt Lake City, Utah. Though slightly smaller in market size than Portland, SLC has funding, a site, and an owner lined up. That puts them in the driver’s seat for expansion.
The other cities listed in the article are Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Montreal, Quebec Canada; and Raleigh, North Carolina. Tom Dundon, owner of the Trail Blazers, is listed as the chief candidate for ownership should the MLB expand to Raleigh.
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