Teams that look strong on paper can often perform much less impressively if even one or two key players are removed from the mix, and even the very best teams can look vulnerable with a long enough string of tough-luck injuries.
The 'Home Team Act' would require that any sports team owner looking to move their franchise, or sell to a new owner with the intention of relocation, first be required to offer the sale of the franchise to a group keeping it in its current location.
Expansion, those sources said, is not imminent - and in fact is unlikely to happen until the early 2030s. Creating a franchise out of nothing takes time, and expansion isn't MLB's immediate priority, either - not amid the fallout from the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group, the company that owned local television rights to 14 teams, the unsettled status of the Rays' attempt to build a new stadium and the Oakland A's attempt to abscond to Las Vegas. Not to mention the new collective bargaining agreement to be negotiated after the current one expires in 2026, too.
The Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds have decided they will partner with MLB, which will produce their games for the 2026 season and beyond. The Tampa Bay Rays are also part of that mix, according to media reporter John Ourand, who first broke the news. The Cardinals, Royals and Brewers have formally announced the transition.
