As talk around MLB expansion begins to heat up, Sacramento could soon formally enter the conversation.
Former Major League Baseball executive David Samson joined Sactown Sports’ The Drive Guys to break down what the league will actually be looking for if the city hopes to land a franchise.
And while the idea of expansion is gaining traction, Samson made it clear the process is long — and the requirements are significant.
“First of all, you need an ownership group, so you start with that,” Samson said. “It’s got to be somebody with extremely deep pockets. And it’s got to be someone who would lead what will most likely be a syndicate of other people, so a group of people to come up with the amount of money required both to pay the expansion fee and then to have the capital to start a franchise.”
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Could Sacramento secure an MLB expansion team?
Sacramento is weeks away from hosting its second Opening Day as the temporary home of the Athletics as they await the completion of their new stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The A’s played the 2025 season at Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and plan to play there through the 2027 season.
Having Major League Baseball in Sacramento has raised the question of whether or not a team can permanently call the California state capital home, but it will take a big push from local leaders.
According to Samson, ownership is just the first box to check for Sacramento.
“Second, a stadium plan — where would the team play? What is the financing of that stadium, of a new stadium, likely with a roof, what’s the location, etc.,” he said. “And then three would be, what is your view of the market as it relates to local revenue? That’s ticket revenue, sponsorship revenue, and broadcast revenue.”
In other words, if Sacramento wants to be taken seriously in MLB expansion talks, the proposal needs to be complete — ownership, stadium financing, and long-term market viability.
One theory floating around locally is that Sacramento hosting the Athletics temporarily could give the city a leg up in the MLB expansion race. Samson isn’t buying that idea.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 21: A general view of Sutter Health Park as the Athletics take on the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning on May 21, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images)
“I know that we’re local, but that’s just not realistic,” Samson said. “It’s very nice that Sacramento stepped up and that a deal was there to be had to be the interim home… but when owners are looking at expansion… I just don’t think you’ll find owners who give much weight to the fact that Sacramento was the home of Oakland in the interim period.”
He added that attendance numbers during this stopgap period likely won’t matter much either.
“It’s not about whether 5,000 people come or 12,000 people come to watch the A’s play. It’s really not relevant, truly, to owners when they’re deciding what they want to do. It’s what’s going to happen going forward.”
The bigger hurdle may simply be time. Samson emphasized that MLB expansion — while inevitable at some point — is still far from happening.
“You have to study expansion. Then you have to get bids from cities, negotiate with cities, get ownership groups, and negotiate with them. It’s a whole thing, and it takes a very, very long time.”
For Sacramento, that means the expansion conversation is just getting started. If the city hopes to secure a franchise when MLB eventually grows, the focus won’t be on goodwill or temporary hosting duties.
It will be about ownership money, a stadium plan, and proving the market can sustain Major League Baseball long term.
Check out the full interview with David Samson by scrolling to the top of the page or by clicking here.
Listen to The Drive Guys from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.
