Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz and the Mammoth, announced an aggressive pursuit of a Major League Baseball expansion franchise for Utah, according to a September 24 report by Front Office Sports.
Smith stated that his group will be aggressive in pursuing sports and noted that Salt Lake City is ready for a Major League Baseball team.
In a report published September 24, Smith discussed his interest in adding baseball to his sports holdings during an episode of Portfolio Players. He noted that while his group does not operate much publicly, they have seen success with other franchises, such as the NHL's former Coyotes, which he brought to Utah in 2024 and renamed the Mammoth.
Major League Baseball does not currently have a formal expansion process established, but the matter is expected to escalate once the league and the MLB Players Association resolve a labor situation. Interest in expansion has increased following the resolution of stadium situations involving the Rays and the A's. Additionally, expansion pricing is expected to rise following the record-setting sales of the Padres for $3.9 billion and the Angels for $4 billion.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred previously stated that there are many markets in North America, including Canada and Mexico, that would like to add Major League Baseball. Manfred expressed a desire to have two new markets selected before his tenure ends in early 2029, though those teams would likely not be playing on the field before then.
Alongside Nashville, Salt Lake City has been viewed as a strong contender for one of the two expansion teams. The region offers population growth, development, and a geographic advantage due to its separation from other existing teams or rival expansion candidates.
To secure an MLB franchise, Smith would likely need to collaborate with The Larry H. Miller Company, which leads the Big League Utah coalition. The Miller Company, which owns the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, has an identified stadium site and helped secure $900 million in state funding toward a ballpark intended for an MLB franchise.
If expansion occurs, Manfred and MLB are expected to pursue a geographic-based realignment that would eliminate the league's traditional division structures. Major League Baseball last expanded in 1998 with the arrival of the Diamondbacks and the Rays.
