Places like San Juan and Dominican Republic might not be able to support a franchise but even having spring training/all star games/special games like they do with football in London or the games in asia would be a blast to attend. Vegas would be fun. Most likely something will happen with the A's and Rays. Maybe San jose and the south bay gets the A's. 49ers already in Santa clara.
Baseball prospectus November 13 2012
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=18886
Vegas expansion chances
"5. Las Vegas, NV
Population (data): 589,317
Distance to Nearest MLB Market: Los Angeles (270 miles), Anaheim (222 miles)
MLB Television Territories Impacted (data): Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Athletics, Giants, D-Backs
Median Household Income (2006-2010): $54,334
Television Information (data): (Ranks 43rd in DMA) 718,990 television households, 0.630 percent of all US TV households
Radio Information (data): Arbitron ranking: 32nd (Metro 12+ population - 1,656,200)
Number of Major League Teams: 0
Interim/New Facility Location: Cashman Field (seating capacity – 9,334)
Population Base per Franchise (with MLB team): 589,317
Number of Fortune 1000 Companies: 7
Pros
Las Vegas was one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, although with the downturn in the economy and Vegas being tourist-based, the growth has slowed some. At some point, however, Las Vegas seems like a destination for a major sports league franchise. One thing seems certain: whichever league gets into Vegas first will have no problem selling suites. Saying that you own a suite is one thing. Saying that you own a suite in Las Vegas is another. It’s an entertainment magnet.
In 2004, Vegas became the hip location to talk about for the Expos. If D.C. failed, it seemed that the idea of legalized gambling was no longer a prohibitive factor. Mayor Oscar Goodman got MLB brass to come out and talk stadium specifics, but “specifics” never seemed to come from Goodman. Vegas would have to wait.
Cons
As is the case with any market, the primary issue is funding a stadium with as little input from the would-be owners as possible. As mentioned, Mayor Goodman talked of a scheme to get a stadium developed with little-to-no public subsidy. That model was not completely made public, but in an interview with Lou Weisbach of Stadium Capital Financing, it seems that a large part of the Vegas effort was the use of Weisbach’s Equity Seats Rights model. Whether it was the idea of the seat rights program or the fact that Goodman wasn’t keen on coming up with other public subsidies (something that other developers of entertainment locations in Vegas have had to do without), MLB talked about Vegas’ possibilities, but the rubber never hit the road.
Beyond those issues, while Vegas is growing like a weed, there’s really nothing more than tumbleweeds outside of Vegas proper. As the ranks above show, Vegas has an exceptionally small television market size. With television becoming a key revenue driver, the small DMA works against Vegas. Throw in a dose of Pete Rose for good measure, and MLB may not be the first in the door in Las Vegas. Oh, and talk about television market cannibalization issues. Vegas is arcanely split six ways. Negotiating that would be interesting."
Monterrey Mexico
"7. Monterrey, Mexico
Population: 1.1 million (proper), Metropolitan area: 3.8 million
Distance to Nearest MLB Market: 412 miles (Houston)
MLB Television Territories Impacted: None
Median Household Income: (2000 figures) Valle region: $11,300, Inner city: $8,700
Television Information: Second-largest market in Mexico
Number of Major League Teams: 0
Interim/New Facility Location: Estadio Monterrey (seating capacity: 26,000)
Population Base per Franchise (including MLB team): 2,450,292
Number of Fortune 500 Global Companies: 0
Pros
Monterrey has hosted more than one MLB game. The Dodgers and Brewers played there in 1991, the Twins and Braves in 1993.
While Monterrey doesn’t have a single Fortune 1000 company that it can call its own, with NAFTA, Monterrey is an industrial hub hosting a laundry list of U.S. company presences. American Express, Amway, Baker & McKenzie, Bank of America, Carrier, Caterpillar, Chrysler, Donnelly, GE, GM, Honeywell, IBM, John Deere, JC Penney, Kohler, Korn/Ferry International, KPMG, Kimberly Clark, Lucent, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Pinkerton, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Trane, Toyota, Visteon, Wayerhaeuser, and York all call the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon home. Fortune ranks Monterrey as the best Latin American city in which to conduct business.
Throw in Mexican industrialist Carlos Bremer, who along with Jose Maiz worked during 2003 to try and get MLB to host 22 MLB games in Estadio Monterrey, and Monterrey becomes the prohibitive favorite should MLB consider expanding or relocating teams to Mexico.
Cons
Much like Montreal, international exchange rates would play a factor, should MLB look to relocate or expand internationally. Monterrey knows full well about how the rise and fall in currency can impact matters. Maiz mentioned this in 2004 to MLB.com: "In 1994, we applied to get games played here on a permanent basis, but in December 1994, there was a big devaluation of the money here," Maiz said. "I wrote a letter immediately to the Major Leagues to tell them to retire my proposal because the country was not in a condition to host a team.”
Another issue is the amount of discretionary income available to those in Monterrey. Mexico is broken into three “zones” of the republic, with Monterrey falling into “Zone B”: the middle of the economic classes. Still, the average household income is deemed to be well below U.S. standards. That creates sustainability concerns.
Monterrey is a possibility but may be a decade off."
