New 51s stadium may be blow for Las Vegas’ MLB aspirations

With the Las Vegas 51s moving into a brand new 10,000 seat, $150 million ballpark, the arrival of a possible MLB team may be a lot more difficult. Even though Rob Manfred has named Sin City as a possible candidate for an MLB club, that club may have to buy out the 51s or agree with the presence of a MiLB team in adjacent Summerlin.

Mayor Carolyn Goodman of Las Vegas said the new ballpark in Summerlin may be an obstacle for a relocating MLB team. The mayor had talks with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in Washington DC last week and expressed Las Vegas’ wish to lure an MLB team.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors voted 8-2 to invest $80 million in the 10,000-seat, open-air ballpark in exchange for naming rights. It is expected to be ready for the 2019 season. Goodman is part of the authority board but abstained from voting on the money for the ballpark. “I sit on the board. I said, to the 51s officials:  ‘What are you doing? What happens if MLB wants to come?’” she said.

Their answer was:  “They would have to buy us out.”

In MLB it hardly occurs that an MLB team agrees with an MiLB team near its territory. The sole exceptions are the Yankees and the Mets agreeing on both the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones (both A Short Season New York-Penn League).

Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the USA with a population of an estimated 640,000. The population of the metro area approaches two million. Even a city with a smaller population like Clevland is home to three major sports teams: The Browns (NFL), the Cavaliers (NBA) and the Indians (MLB). So if Cleveland can support three teams, why not Las Vegas?

With the Vegas Golden Knights (NHL) and the (future) Las Vegas Raiders (NFL) already in town as major league sports, an MLB team would be a nice addition. But mayor Goodman thinks that MLB will be the last major sports league to come to Las Vegas.