The Orlando Dreamers announced earlier this week that Hall of Famer Barry Larkin has joined the organization, which has the goal of getting an MLB franchise in the city. Larkin, who now lives in Orlando, has the title of MLB ambassador with the Dreamers. Pat Williams, the late former executive for the NBA’s Orlando Magic, co-founded the Dreamers in 2019 as an effort to get an MLB franchise. While Williams passed away last summer, the organization has continued that goal.
“I spent considerable time talking to key people in Major League Baseball, including Commissioner Manfred, before committing to join the Orlando Dreamers’ effort,” Larkin said in the press release. “There were many phone calls to (co-founder Jim Schnorf), asking detailed questions concerning the approach, the accomplishments to date, and the strategies moving forward. It became immediately apparent that Orlando has the most compelling market in the country to be the next MLB franchise location. … At this stage in my career, nothing could be more exciting than being a key part of this effort in my adopted home of Orlando, Florida.”
Larkin is a Cincinnati native who spent his entire 19-year big league career with his hometown Reds. He won the 1995 NL MVP award behind a .319 average and Gold Glove defense at shortstop. Larkin made 12 All-Star teams, won the Silver Slugger award on nine occasions, and collected a trio of Gold Glove awards. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 2012, his third year on the ballot.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said on multiple occasions that he hopes to finalize plans for expansion from 30 to 32 teams by the end of his tenure. He plans to retire when his current contract expires in January 2029. While it’s highly unlikely that expansion teams would be on the field by the ’29 season, it’s possible that host cities could be settled by that point with the league moving to 32 teams early in the 2030s. Manfred has suggested that expansion would be on the back burner until the A’s and Rays’ stadium situations were finalized.
The A’s plan to be in Las Vegas in time for the 2028 season. The Rays seemed to have a long-term stadium plan in St. Petersburg, but the devastating hurricane in the area last fall has thrown those plans into question. That combined with a changed county council makeup after Election Day led the county to delay approval of bonds that’d finance the stadium. The Rays have claimed that makes it impossible to have the new stadium complete for the 2028 season. The team is responsible for cost overruns on the project, which it says will be exorbitant with construction going until 2029.
While Pinellas County approved the bonds last month, the Rays reiterated that the delay has proven too costly. They’re pushing for more public funding as a result, which the county has indicated it is unwilling to approve. The Rays have until March 31 to meet various construction benchmarks on the project or the bond agreement will automatically be nullified. They are committed to play at Tropicana Field through the 2028 season. The Trop was severely damaged by the hurricane and it is unclear whether it’ll be playable by 2026. The Rays will play their ’25 home games at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field, home of the Yankees’ Low-A affiliate.
Larkin said at his introductory press conference that the Orlando group is open to pursuing both an expansion franchise or a potentially relocated one (alluding to the Rays’ situation). Manfred was asked about the possibility of relocating the Rays in November. He replied that MLB remained “focused on our franchise in Tampa Bay.”
He is wasting his energy on Orlando
Vegas – Why? If there is no longer a team in Tampa they can certainly support a team in Orlando.
A new domed or retractable roof stadium would generate massive revenue year round.
I feel as though we have enough evidence that Florida cannot support major league franchises
Yes, both Florida teams have thrived. Lets give them a third!
either the Marlins or Rays should be relocated to Nashville with the other being moved to Orlando which is more centrally located in the state and would probably be helped by Disney being nearby.
How would Disney help?
There is a team in Tampa Bay however, and there is no indication that will change in the near term. Tampa Bay’s stadium is also located in St Petersburg, which makes it an unreasonable drive for Orlandoans. I would not consider Tampa and Orlando to be overlapping markets then, particularly when the Rays can only manage 15K fans per game.
The challenge for Orlando is that you already have two failing MLB franchises in Florida. The Tampa Bay Rays are doubling down on St Petersburg as if it were a successful or viable location for an MLB franchise. It’s not. Geography assures that. Location-wise, Orlando would very likely be the best bet to draw 25K fans a game, but existing franchises in Florida make Orlando an exceptional long shot for a new franchise..
I don’t think tampa factor in. Too long of drive. So much to do in Florida tourist ain’t going to Tampa. Locals won’t either. If Orlando cared about the Rays their attendance wouldn’t be so pathetic. Heck Tampa doesn’t even care about them or want to do the commute.
Just what MLB needs. Another team in Florida with an empty stadium every night.
I could be pretty full… With other teams fans. Huge tourist city with the theme parks.
I guess another Florida team in baseball makes sense when Tampa Bay can’t even fill their own, and they often win enough that they deserve the attention. not sure Florida is a good spot for a second team lol. just a thought. maybe Virginia? Star of Washington? Utah? just a thought…
I don’t understand this at all. It’s the last place that needs a team. Omg. Florida is horrible with baseball. It needs one team, not three..
Now let’s talk about Montreal!!!
If someone is willing to give the current owners a pile of $ they will take it. And if someone is willing to build a stadium for a team, which will be biggest issue.
Tampa Bay, Miami, that would be a third team……..
It would be 2 and half teams. Miami still has a team right? Will have to wait for trade deadline to see some transactions to know for sure.
Another FLA team is a terrible idea. Tourism alone is not a reason for a franchise to exist there. Virginia is a total non starter…too close to DC and no metropolitan area big enough to support it. Utah? I figure Nashville/Portland/Montreal all have a better case than Salt Lake City…not even sure folks in Utah even want a team. Regardless, there will be an MLB team in Orlando as soon as they get one on the moon.
Half – Why do you think the A’s are moving to Vegas. TOURISM.
Vegas tourism is different than Orlando tourism. Vegas is an adult tourist town, where adults might burn three hours catching a game while they’re in town. Orlando is a family destination to go on rides and play in the water. Very few 10 year olds are going to be begging their parents to take them to see some baseball team they’ve never heard of instead of going to Disney World.
It remains to be seen whether the A’s will thrive in Vegas. The Golden Knights are doing well, for sure. Raiders we’re 31st out of 32 in the NFL…MLB really biffed the A’s thing from start to finish. They never should have left Oakland, but the owners are loathe to sacrifice one of their own. Fischer is bad, but he’s not Daniel Snyder Bad.
Tom – When you spend 5-7 days in Orlando there’s plenty of time to take in a game, and for the parents it’s a nice break from cartoon characters and children oriented activities.
If kids have no interest in baseball the sport is finished.
It’s obviously for the tourist who’s kids already like baseball. You’re a Yankees fan. You plan your Disney trip the same week Yankees are playing Dreamers.
@FeverPitch — if the basis for a team is tourism, then honestly, why doesn’t NYC have 3 teams? They’re the most visited annually of any city (Miami is 2nd, Orlando is 4th, according to 2024 Conde Nast) — while also ranking #1 in population. Brooklyn alone could be the 3rd-4th largest US city. Even Staten Island (the baby borough) is larger than Orlando. So, they have the residents, they have the tourists (overseas included), and they have the history with Dodgers/Jackie, etc. Realistically, having a team in Orlando, which can barely keep a MLB team’s spring training facility (Wide World of Sports Complex), is a waste of time and energy.
When you see that number of 62k we need to keep in mind stadium max. attendance is only 65k. Last year Bears had less…so football not working in Chicago? Vegas has drawn well for hocket.
The city of Oakland never supported the A’s. Good riddance.
They always have and tried to support the team, antibelt. The cheapness of the owner naturally alienated the fanbase.
Turn the Savannah Bananas into an MLB franchise.
Charlotte might be Braves country but too big to ignore. Same with Nashville but those are 2 of the most likely. Montreal is good one as well.
All comes down to stadium. Whoever is willing to build one. Can’t see ownership paying all or most of bill. Although I have some different ideas to drastically cut down on construction cost.
Portland should be next. Minor league teams have done well in the area.
Create a Marinersrivalry also. If I remember right they have a group already with plans and stadium location?
Amen to Portland. That should be the next team out west, so M’s aren’t alone up there. A team in Salt Lake City with a team in Las Vegas doesn’t make dollars and sense. Maybe Portland will be bring the first championship to the NW…
Tennessee.
Nashville, Charlotte, Salt Lake City are a few more compelling locales to compete for 2 new franchises when they eventually expand to 32 clubs. If TB continues not to draw even with success and strong FO, perhaps owner can move them to Orlando or sell.
Unless they change the current system, anyone would be a fool to lay out money for an expansion team, and a city’s taxpayers fools for giving the owners money for a ballpark.
Who can you sell beer to in SLC? Or even Coca Cola?
Utah has changed. Beer and coffee are both available. Non-Mormons make up over half the population of SLC. Last summer on a camping trip that took us through Utah, stopped at a convenience store in a small town to get some milk. Went to the coolers along the back wall (about forty linear feet of coolers), they were filled with beer and soda.
Great state, great scenery, lots of outdoor activities, nice people. I’d recommend visiting before commenting. We don’t live there but visit often.
“Nashville, Charlotte, Salt Lake City are a few more compelling locales to compete for 2 new franchises when they eventually expand to 32 clubs.”
–
cwsOverhaul;
Your thinking is in line with most. However, consider this…..
Any one of those 3 areas (as well as others such as Portland) are going to be small market teams. Are their market areas much bigger than Milwaukee, Baltimore, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, what Oakland was and Las Vegas is, and others? In fact, when teams were put in Miami and Tampa Bay the thinking was that those were growing areas that people and businesses had been moving to. How has that worked out?
Expansion is a joke. MLB needs contraction and full revenue distribution instead of having 2nd and 3rd class franchises…and again, all the areas being mentioned for expansion will be 3rd class franchises. Which brings up a logical question…..
Exactly what group of businesspeople in those areas are going to invest $2-3 BILLION dollars just to get a franchise, then invest even more to work with the local governments to build a major league park, as well as a MLB franchise infrastructure knowing that they’ll be a 3rd class franchise that cannot compete equally with other teams in the league to keep and acquire quality players?
No argument. We just know contraction isn’t something mlb or union wants to improve quality of game.
Dreamers? Such a terrible name. Enough tourism in Orlando to fill many seats. This is not Miami or St. Pete.
The absolute dumbest name ever..
Childish – When I go to other countries, what do you think is the reaction when I tell people I root for socks.
worse than guardians ?? tough call
West – Nothing is lamer than rooting for socks. At least Cincinnati was smart enough to move away from it.
I think it’s a perfectly fine name.
Thunder immediately came to mind when I seen article. Apparently they had a football team called that in early 90s. Dreamers is lame but maybe just a working title until they get a team. They dream of getting one.
Yup because when families go to Orlando they think…let’s go see a baseball game instead of a theme park.
Tom – When you have a family it will go like this: “Hey family let’s go to Disney, and we can see my favorite team when they are in town”.
It’s not for every family. It’s for families that like baseball. It’s let’s cross another ball park off our list, see our favorite team and while we are there go to theme park.
“Dreamers” strikes me as a cynical attempt to attract Disney $$$ (sponsorships, joint ventures, co-ownership). It’s so obvious a suck-up that they may have problems because Disney already uses “dreamers” in its business promotions and may not want other local uses of the name.
Unless you’re moving the marlins or rays, I think Florida has enough teams nobody goes to see
Hard to give up that large of media market.
I get it for sure. And no doubt, attendance doesn’t matter as much nowadays. But there are so many deserving fanbases that would love a team and actually show up to the park for a good one. Orlando isn’t one of them.
Cleveland – Zero chance of there being teams in both Tampa and Orlando.
Might want to talk Mr. Reinsdorf about his team.
Owner is problem. Not city. Even in old ball park over 2 million people came out to watch the few times they had good teams. Closer to 3 million some years.
With ManFraud at the helm, why would anyone invest in baseball ??
I imagine the value of teams before him and after is pretty significant along with the broadcast deals.
Do you really believe that the increased valuation of MLB teams has anything whatsoever to do with Manfred?
I dunno. Owners like him or he would have been replaced. Embracing world baseball classic was good idea if he done anything. Like many CEOs he doesn’t read the climate well. All about the same really.
@Tom Manfred makes a $25M annual salary so yes I do think individual team valuations and overall attendance and league revenues increases may have something to do with him. Otherwise, the owners can pay a guy $250k to do the same job.
team values will always rise despite who the commish is. it would take someone so utterly incompetent (like someone who would bankrupt a casino) to tank a team’s value
Well there is a president of a certain country who has bankrupted his own casinos several times. MLB has its own checks-and-balance so no team will ever be insolvent. Every team is in some ways invested in others in order to help themselves thrive.
Status for the rich, and its an investment that does well when you eventually sell it down the road (so far).
I like to think of him as Larry Barkin.
Not a obvious adult film name but that was my first thought.
K9 cop movie came to mind.
Florida can barely support tge two teams it akready has. Ridiculous.
Like 10 teams or so NY LA BOS PHI CHI ATL etc supports them.
Philly needs a second team. Spurn the sun for the snow and start your team up here, Mr. Larkin
What morons would put a baseball franchise in Orlando? Baseball is a failure in Miami, a failure in Tampa/St. Pete…so let’s do it again and fail somewhere else. Next it’ll be a team in Key West. Other than Spring Training, Florida is not a state where baseball will succeed.
Austin needs a team
Barf. Texas has 2 they are set
Texas can support three teams.
Build the stadium in San Marcos and have a train running from Austin and San Antonio and it would work.
Just Move the Rays to Orlando since their new ballpark st. Petersburg we’ll probably fall through anyway..
“Expansion won’t happen until more teams have extracted tax payer funds by threatening to move the franchise”
Rob “juiced balls” Manfred
Would love to see a team here in Orlando. There’s a lot of Rays fans here who all wish the stadium were closer. So I do think it could work.
It’s fair to say Florida shouldn’t have 3 teams but relocating 1 of them seems very doable, since both of the Florida teams are horridly managed right now.
Miami was a good market. Poor ownership though ruined it. Tampa just needed better stadium and location.
Good gig for Larkin, Lives there. Better than roving instructor for Reds.
Maybe it makes sense to have a team in central Florida because outside of Disney and that stuff I don’t think there’s a whole lot to do. But honestly, how many teams does one state need to have when they can’t even support the teams they already have? Seems like having major league teams in Florida doesn’t really work.
Florida is great for baseball. Spring Training baseball. Regular season? Nah.
First I’ve heard Orlando being mentioned as an expansion possibility. Weird.
The last thing major league baseball needs is more franchises.
Sports are held as special when the market isn’t flooded with teams. Especially mediocre teams and players. That is all baseball needs is more empty stadiums and teams paying sub .250 hitters and 4.50 ERA pitchers 20+ million a year.
If you put out a competitive product, you wouldn’t have to play games/series at NASCAR tracks, or foreign countries.
Perfect opportunity to move the Rays to Orlando. Having three Florida teams when the first two have such low attendance makes no sense.
Good call
Oh good, let’s try major league baseball in a third Florida city that won’t care.
I mean seriously Florida is the last place they should consider
If you need to add a team, I’d move Tampa there. They’ve already proven that they can’t draw a crowd in Tampa Bay and the city only marginally cares about them at all.
A real owner should get an expansion team and put it in oakland. That market can definitely support a team with the right owner.
New stadium and an owner committed to spending. Will take an owner willing to build his own stadium.
Before they do anything though they need to get the tv issues resolved. Last thing they need are more small market teams that can only compete for a short window.
I don’t see it happening, but it would make me happy since the proposed site is like 15 minutes from me.
Only if the owner is worth no less than $10 Billion. Orlando is a stretch for multiple reasons besides oversaturating Florida with a 3rd team, but if they’re going to go there, DO NOT add a 3rd poverty franchise that runs out $70-80 million payrolls every year.
I think they should do it!
Fl.orida needs another baseball team, there’s simply not enough supply for demand btwn the constantly sold out marlins and rays parks. great idea Barry.
I am fine with a third franchise in Florida as long as they coincidentally move Spring Training to the Arctic Circle. The Arizona teams can move to the Antarctic Circle. And the Rockies can train on the moon.
This all makes sense to me.
They don’t need anymore trams on the east coast, but they do need two on the west coast
Dumb idea!
Austin, Portland, Nashville and San Antonio makes more sense than Orlando!
Hell, Mexico City and Montreal makes more sense!
Once upon a time, New York supported three franchises, Boston supported two franchises, and Philadelphia supported two franchises. Not coincidentally, the remaining franchises in those 3 cities have significantly higher payrolls than the majority of franchises, certainly given them an advantage. This is part of the problem and adding a third franchise to el cheapo Florida is NOT the solution. The two there already are near the bottom of the MLB payrolls. If anything, those two teams should be combined immediately into one franchise and a new team formed in New Jersey.
This all makes sense to me as well.
I think every major league player who makes over a million dollars should be required to complete a marathon every off season in under 4 hours or they are banned from playing baseball until they can. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it because it makes sense to me. Honestly, these big over muscled wieght room dorks need to slim down and get healthy so they’re not pulling every muscle and blowing out every tendon every time they try to play a child’s game.
Having lived in Florida for 30+years I can give a different perspective. The reasons people don’t go to Tropicana Field.
1) It’s in a crappy part of town.
2) The commute from Tampa is over an hour.
3) It is expensive.
4) It’s old an decrepit
I remember when it was announced that Miami got a franchise and all the people who called into the sports shows on the radio were crying about how Miami got a franchise. Then they did get one and didn’t show up.
Another reason is so many people from Florida are from somewhere else. I’m a Reds fan, have been all my life. Moving to Florida didn’t change that. Tampa has always been a Yankees town. They do spring training there, as do the Phillies in Clearwater. The Rays are late to the game and have a hard time changing people’s minds.
If they can move to Orlando and get a domed stadium in Kissimmee they would draw people. Orlando is growing fast and people would at least go see the Orlando team play their favorite team.There’s a lot to do in Orlando,but there are way more people in Orlando too. In St Pete the tourists go to the beaches, and the stadium is way downtown, and in a bad neighborhood.
Baseball in Florida could succeed but it’s way to hot in Miami in the summer and to far out of the way in St Pete. It would be hard to change people’s loyalty to another team, but it could be done. The only caveat would be that Florida real estate is about to have a big reset. Prices are artificially high, especially in Orlando. And a lot of people can’t afford to keep making house payments on a house that is half the value of what it was a few years ago. Florida has its own ups and downs, separate from the rest of the country and we are fixing to have a whopper. People are leaving the west coast of Florida because of the three hurricanes in the past year, and the fact home insurance is triple what it was a few short years ago. After the last three hurricanes people are taking the insurance settlement and running back where they moved from. Just my perspective, and I believe an informed opinion on baseball in Florida.
Just thinking about summer baseball in inland Florida is enough to give somebody swampass.
Florida doesn’t support the two teams it has now. They don’t need a third one.
Tampa is in the top 20 TV markets and the Rays are usually the top 10 in TV ratings!! The answer might be not to move the Rays but work on a agreement to sell to a local owner who wants to live here.
MLB does not need another team anywhere. Too many teams are not competitive as it is. The market is so diluted with players that shouldn’t be on major league rosters. There should be more young people playing the game instead of giving contracts to players in their late 30’s and early 40’s.
This is just silly. Florida doesn’t support the Rays or the Marlins. A third team doesn’t make any sense. Expansion or relocation will occur in 2 of Nashville, Portland, or Montreal, or perhaps all 3 of them.
Oh, just stop. No more baseball in Florida.
Move the Rays to Orlando. I doubt things will be better there.
First off, that name needs to go. Secondly, Florida won’t support three baseball teams, they don’t even support the two the already have. If they really want to make this happen they would be better trying to buy the Rays and move them there