Could your city get an MLB expansion team? Breaking down potential top candidates
Major League Baseball expansion is coming — it’s just a matter of when … and where.
While the timeline for MLB to go to 32 teams remains a bit murky, commissioner Rob Manfred recently said he hopes to have a process “in place” for the league to expand to 32 teams before he retires in 2029.
There are plenty of candidates to land one of the franchises when the sport does expand, headlined by a pair of cities that have moved to the front of the line. Is your city one of the places that baseball could be eyeing? We asked our MLB reporters to break down the cases for and against the leading options.
Austin/San Antonio
City population: 961,855 (Austin); 1,434,625 (San Antonio)
Metro area population: 2,421,115 (Austin); 2,655,342 (San Antonio)
TV market rank: 35 (Austin); 31 (San Antonio)
Most likely nickname: Austin has the largest urban bat population so The Austin Bats is a strong option, but they would have to share it with the minor league team in Louisville.
Most likely stadium location: According to Austin journalist Bryan Parker, the area east of the city could work. It includes a newer toll road, and it’s where Tesla has headquarters as well as where the airport is located.
The case for Austin/San Antonio: Because these two cities are so close in proximity, we’ll focus on Austin and San Antonio together for a potential expansion team. With that in mind, the case for Austin isn’t a hard one to make. It’s one of the largest U.S. markets without an existing NFL, NBA or MLB team — and it’s still growing, recently moving into the top 10 in population. It also has an expanding tech and big company community which includes Apple and Amazon, among many others. Austin FC, a Major League Soccer team that began play in 2021, sold out all 17 of its home games in 2022, providing a test case for professional sports in the area. With San Antonio just 90 minutes from Austin — even closer if a stadium were to be built north of the city — the two can potentially combine their reach.
What could stop it from landing a team: Does Matthew McConaughey like baseball? The actor, who has strong ties to the area, helped spearhead the recently built Moody Center where the University of Texas basketball teams now play. A similar commitment could help the concept of Major League Baseball in Austin gain ground, but a local ambassador has yet to emerge.
The biggest obstacle either Austin or San Antonio face in getting a team, might be the Houston Astros — who play just three-plus hours away and have developed a strong fan base in the region. — Jesse Rogers
Charlotte
City population: 874,579
Metro area population: 2,756,069
TV market rank: 21
Most likely nickname: The Charlotte MLB Project lists the Charlotte Aviators as a possibility.
Most likely stadium location: There is no clear choice here. Truist Field, the home of the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, sits uptown with a view of the city’s skyline but seats just over 10,000 fans and was not built to expand to major league capacity.
The case for Charlotte: The Charlotte metro area is bigger than those of some existing MLB teams, including Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Charlotte already has proven it can support multiple professional sports teams — with an NFL, NBA and MLS team all located in the city — and that doesn’t include the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, who play just over 2.5 hours away in Raleigh. The Knights, who are the White Sox Triple-A affiliate, also play in the Queen City’s downtown area and ranked 10th in all of the minors in attendance last season.
What could stop it from landing a team: Location. It is extremely unlikely that MLB would add two teams in the same region when it expands, and at the moment, Nashville appears to be at the front of the line to land a team. The Music City has demonstrated more organized interest in bringing an MLB team than Charlotte has, so the Charlotte MLB Project — a movement to bring baseball to Charlotte — would have to kick into high gear to close the gap. — Rogers
Mexico City
City population: 9,209,944
Metro area population: 21,804,515
TV market rank: N/A
Most likely nickname: The Red Devils are a very successful Mexican League team that plays out of the city’s biggest ballpark (Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium), and the locals have thrown around the idea of a future MLB team taking that nickname — though that might not fly given the controversy surrounding the Tampa Bay “Devil Rays’ nickname.
Most likely stadium location: Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium, the place that hosted the first regular-season MLB series in Mexico City last year and will do so again this year (the Colorado Rockies and the Houston Astros will play two games there in late April). The ballpark opened just five years ago, but it has a seating capacity of only about 20,000 and would have to expand in order to host major league teams on a regular basis.
The case for Mexico City: It is right up there with Sao Paulo in Brazil as the largest city in the Western Hemisphere. Mexico City is vibrant, diverse and the people there love baseball, especially after Mexico’s thrilling run through the World Baseball Classic last spring. Tickets for last year’s two-game series between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres — which marked MLB’s first regular-season series in Mexico’s capital city — sold out in less than an hour. The atmosphere at those games was electric.
On Opening Day last year more than 30% of MLB rosters were composed of Hispanic players. Because of the interest in the sport in Latin America, putting an expansion team in the region makes too much sense — and having one in Mexico would be far more feasible than having one in Cuba, the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, for a myriad of reasons.
What could stop it from landing a team: A lot, unfortunately, the most prominent reason might be the limits on revenue that can be drawn in a country where its currency is exceedingly volatile and the people who live there earn far less than they do in the United States or Canada. Mexico City’s reputation for high crime rates — whether fair or not — might make it difficult for a team there to attract top-tier free agent talent, as might the fact that the city is located roughly 600 miles south of any U.S. city.
The stadium sits a whopping 7,349 feet above sea level — more than 2,000 feet higher than even Coors Field — but a bigger problem might be that it does not possess a roof, given the amount of rain that falls on Mexico City in the summer months. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also said leading up to last year’s Mexico City series that he has “never been close to the idea of Mexico as an expansion opportunity.” – Alden Gonzalez
Montreal
City population: 1,762,949
Metro area population: 4,291,732
TV market rank: N/A
Most likely nickname: Expos. This is one part of the process that has never been murky in Montreal, where the vibe among the pro-MLB crowd has always been more “bring back the Expos” than “we want an expansion team.”
Most likely stadium location: This is very much up in the air. The Peel Basin site that had been floated as a possible stadium location has more recently been targeted for housing development. Oversized and under-used Olympic Stadium is set to be renovated, though that appears more for general use than anything Expos-related.
The case for Montreal: After a string of MLB-related disappointments, Montreal needs baseball to make the next first move by launching a formal expansion process. When that happens, we know Montreal can mobilize and do so quickly, perhaps as well as any candidate city. They’ve pulled together studies, pinpointed stadium sites and created the core of a potential ownership group — they’ve even surveyed their fans — all elusive elements of a bid that have to come together at the right time. All of that legwork was for a now-expired bid, but what hasn’t changed is that Montreal remains easily the largest of the leading candidates in market size, a fact that will keep them in the conversation.
“I would look at us as being the most mature of the groups that are out there,” said William Jegher, a Montreal-based executive for Ernst & Young who was a key figure in Montreal’s most recent push for a team. “When baseball launches a process, then we would examine what that process looks like and then make a decision as to whether it makes sense for us to put forth a bid.”
What could stop it from landing a team: The last serious bid to put Montreal forward as an expansion candidate fizzled. The reason for that isn’t because of anything the Montreal Baseball Project did wrong but more a matter of timing — they made a strong case for the city before MLB was really ready to consider the issue. For a couple of years, the bid seemed at least half-successful because of a proposed sister city concept in which Montreal and the Tampa Bay area would have shared the Rays. That notion was ultimately kiboshed by MLB in January, 2022.
After so many disappointments, it may really come down to how much of a thirst for a baseball team remains in a city that, by the time MLB gets the expansion wheels turning, could be a quarter century past the loss of the Expos. In the meantime, it is imperative that those in Montreal still pining for a club keep those fires burning. – Bradford Doolittle
Nashville
City population: 689,447
Metro area population: 2,046,715
TV market rank: 27
Most likely nickname: The Stars (Music City Baseball has branded its pitch around the city’s former Negro Leagues team’s name) and the Sounds (the current name of Nashville’s Triple-A club) are the clear options.
Most likely stadium location: There could be space across the Cumberland River from downtown Nashville, near the Titans’ current and future homes.
The case for Nashville: Based on conversations with high-ranking executives within the sport, it seems close to a fait accompli that Nashville will win one of the next expansion teams. When the owners actually form a committee to study the possible growth from 30 to 32 teams, they will talk about how Music City is already a major league city, with the NFL’s Titans and NHL’s Predators and tremendous population growth, in a part of the country that is wild about sports. For example: The area leadership just committed $2.1 billion — that’s probably more than the cost of an expansion franchise — for a new Titans stadium.
What could stop it from landing a team: Nashville is not necessarily close to Cincinnati, St. Louis or Atlanta, but the major league teams from those cities will probably cringe at the idea of having pieces of their respective fan nations shaved off — though those concerns would probably not preclude Nashville from getting a team. – Buster Olney
Orlando
City population: 307,573
Metro area population: 2,764,182
TV market rank: 17
Most likely nickname: The group trying to bring baseball to the city has branded itself the Orlando Dreamers, “a nod to Walt Disney and Arnold Palmer and the many other visionaries who helped develop this area,” according to their website. Something Disney-related — similar to the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks — seems like a likely option.
Most likely stadium location: With the available hotel and land space along with a constant flow of visitors, it would make sense to put a park near Disney World.
The case for Orlando: It is already a major league city, with the NBA’s Magic in town since 1989, and Orlando is much bigger than places like Cleveland and Cincinnati that already have MLB teams.
After trial and errors with the Marlins and the Rays in the state, you’d assume that any ballpark project would be well-placed and include a necessary roof to combat Florida’s seemingly daily wave of late-afternoon showers. A family could cap off a day of rides at theme parks by catching a big league game.
What could stop it from landing a team: The history of the Marlins and Rays, franchises that have already struggled badly for attention. The two teams have consistently been at or near the bottom of the majors in attendance, and so the idea of dropping a third team into the state makes some executives queasy. “There’s no way you’d put a third team in Florida,” said one evaluator. “No way.” – Olney
Portland
City population: 652,503
Metro area population: 2,509,140
TV market rank: 22
Most likely nickname: Former Nike executive Craig Cheek and former Trail Blazers broadcaster Mike Barrett head the Portland Diamond Project and have decided to avoid a team name for now.
“We’ll involve the fans in that, for sure,” Barrett said. The Portland Beavers were the longtime Pacific Coast League team — but that’s also the nickname of the Oregon State University sports teams, so a different name seems likely.
Most likely stadium location: Cheek and Barrett believe this is one of their group’s top selling points, as they’re zeroing in on 164 acres at what is now the RedTail Golf Center in suburban Beaverton located about a mile from Nike headquarters. How does Swoosh Stadium sound?
“You get to dream big when you have 164 acres,” Cheek said, and the PDP is envisioning a sports, entertainment and business complex that would be the largest ballpark district in America and more than twice the size of The Battery ballpark development that has been a major success for the Atlanta Braves. The state also has about $300 million in state bonds to issue to support a stadium project (paid for with a “jock tax”).
The case for Portland: If MLB puts one team in the West and one in the East, that makes Portland a front-runner. Portland is also the largest market in the country with just one of the four major pro sports teams. “We’re an underserved sports market,” Barrett says. The Trail Blazers have been enormously popular for decades and both the men’s and women’s soccer teams in MLS and the NWSL play to sellout crowds.
With MLB likely to realign to eight divisions of four teams after expansion, a Portland team would also create a natural rival for the Seattle Mariners and make travel easier for the rest of the league. “MLB loves its rivalries,” Barrett points out.
While the Beavers last played to meager crowds in 2010 (finishing last in the PCL in attendance), the PDP has a mailing list of 75,000 people, with two-thirds of those fans saying they would be willing season-ticket buyers. “PDX” baseball merchandise — with a “P” logo from the original Portland minor league team from the late 1800s — has been a big seller. “I don’t think any of the other cities out West have put in as much time or energy and are as turnkey ready as we are,” Cheek said.
What could stop it from landing a team: Besides concerns about whether Portland is a baseball city, who is the owner? Cheek and Barrett say they have local investors attached to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and once a real estate deal is secured, they will announce an ownership. You can expect some real estate developers to be involved (along with NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and wife Ciara, who are already investors). – David Schoenfield
Raleigh
City population: 467,665
Metro area population: 1,484,338
TV market rank: 23
Most likely nickname: The “Bring MLB to Raleigh” group has avoided any nickname possibilities, sticking with a “919” area code logo and black-and-white color schematic for its website. A team could even go with “Raleigh” or “Carolina” (like the NHL Hurricanes). One name that did pop up during a team concept event was the Raleigh Capitals, the name of various minor league teams from 1900 through 1967.
Most likely stadium location: There are three possible sites under discussion, but the favorite may be an 80-acre area of open land around PNC Arena, home of the Hurricanes. Billionaire Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon just signed a 20-year lease with the arena, has the right to develop the land — and, oh, is now the money man behind the potential MLB bid.
The case for Raleigh: The push for Raleigh began as a bottom-up, community-driven idea. Only later were Charlie Perusse, a former North Carolina state budget director with the necessary political connections, and Dundon brought on board. Governor Roy Cooper has also publicly supported Raleigh over Charlotte. It helps that Raleigh is one of the few cities with a deep-pocketed owner already on board.
Lou Pascucci, one of the founders of the community group, points to Raleigh’s demographics as a surprising positive. The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle population is over 2.1 million and growing rapidly, with the highest median income of any metro area without an MLB team. With Charlotte, North Carolina has two TV markets in the top 50, and a population (11 million) larger than Tennessee (7 million) or Utah (3.4 million).
“We have some of the strongest market viability metrics, we have vocal government support, we have a lot of exciting land options, we have a loud, passionate community movement, and we have Tom Dundon leading the charge,” Pascucci said.
What could stop it from landing a team: Nashville is the sexier pick and probably the favorite among the Eastern cities. Is there enough corporate support? “I don’t think Tom Dundon believes that’s a problem,” said Pascucci, pointing out the Hurricanes were second in the NHL in attendance in 2022-23.
“If you don’t live here, people would be surprised at how rich the baseball culture is in The Triangle,” Pascucci said. “If we end up getting a team, the Triangle and Raleigh would be listed next to St. Louis and Cincinnati for their passion as a baseball city.” — Schoenfield
San Jose
City population: TK
Metro area population: 1,938,524
TV market rank: 10
Most likely nickname: The mayor’s office of San Jose kicked around some names recently, including: Spirit (partly an homage to the Winchester Mystery House, considered one of the most haunted places in the world); Bees (the name of the city’s original Class A team, though also fitting with the A’s leaving); Sol (in honor of the city’s Hispanic heritage); and Innovators (for the city’s tech hub). This was basically just a brainstorming exercise, however.
Most likely stadium location: While trying to get the A’s to relocate to San Jose roughly 10 years ago, the city released renderings for a new ballpark in the downtown area, near the corner of South Montgomery Street and Park Avenue. Google then purchased that land as part of its desire to build an 80-acre campus — a project that has since stalled — but local officials say there are still a handful of other potential, city-owned sites downtown that can support a major league ballpark.
The case for San Jose: The Bay Area is plenty big enough to support two baseball teams; many would argue, actually, that it’d be absurd if that weren’t the case. San Jose is the biggest city in the Bay Area and more than four times the size of Oakland. It’s nestled within Silicon Valley, surrounded by the biggest tech companies in the world, and produces more than $400 billion annually in gross domestic product. A $12 billion project is underway to extend the BART transit system into the city. In other words, there are major revenue opportunities in this city. Not to mention a major void with the A’s on the verge of leaving Oakland.
What could stop it from landing a team: Territorial rights. The San Francisco Giants own the territorial rights for Santa Clara County, blocking any major league franchise trying to move into that area. It was essentially gifted to them in 1990 for the purposes of building a new stadium and stayed with them. It’s a rather unique situation. Stripping the Giants of those rights would require approval from three-quarters of MLB’s owners — a hurdle San Jose’s elected officials have been unable to clear.
They tried to about 10 years ago, taking the case all the way to the Supreme Court in an effort to get the A’s to relocate to their city, but judges sided with MLB. In June of last year, San Jose mayor Matt Mahan and four former mayors sent a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred outlining why they believe their city should be a leading candidate for expansion and why its circumstances are unfair. Manfred stated he was simply focused on the Las Vegas situation at the moment. City officials continue to believe they’ll have a team someday. — Gonzalez
Salt Lake City
City population: 199,723
Metro area population: 1,266,191
TV market rank: 29
Most likely nickname: There isn’t really a leading candidate yet, though possibilities abound. This could eventually come down to one of those “name the team” contests and until we are much further down the expansion road, fun speculation over the name will be a way to keep baseball on the radar in Salt Lake City. The traditional name of the minor league club — the Bees — dates back to 1915, but has been changed at various times as teams have come and gone.
Other monikers that have been used include Buzz, Gulls and Stingers. New ideas that have been floated: Pioneers, Bison, Outlaws, Saints and Cutthroats. (The Utah state fish is the cutthroat trout.)
Also, a team would likely follow the path of the NBA’s Jazz by adopting the state name, so Utah Bees would be more likely than an MLB version of the Salt Lake City Bees. A stadium name would probably end up with a corporate name, but calling it The Beehive would be fun.
Most likely stadium location: In terms of mixed-used development, imagine a Salt Lake City version of The Battery project that spurred the Braves’ relocation to the Atlanta suburbs a few years ago. Big League Utah has targeted a site that area developers have long coveted between the city’s downtown and airport, a 100-acre parcel currently tabbed as The Power District. It’s just off I-80 and easily accessible by public transit lines, rail and bus. The highway location would make it a convenient destination throughout the region, especially for those from nearby Park City and other cities like Provo and Ogden. The aesthetics of the site would potentially be unmatched in MLB, as it’s abutted by the Jordan River and a stadium would feature views of the downtown skyline and, beyond that, the Wasatch Mountains.
The case for Salt Lake City: Don’t sleep on Salt Lake City, which has hosted the Olympics once already and is a strong candidate to do so again. The city and the state have built an impressive track record of getting large-scale, community-enhancing projects done with an unusual degree of public and private sector synergy.
Until Big League Utah was launched last year, Salt Lake City wasn’t often mentioned as a possible MLB locale. Since then, because the effort has been so thorough and so many preliminary boxes have already been checked, that once you dig into the specifics, the question becomes more: Why not Salt Lake City?
“We have the fastest-growing state, the youngest state, we have a shovel-ready ballpark site with community support and we have a proven ownership group that has experience and is passionate about the sport of baseball,” said Larry H. Miller Company CEO Steve Starks, who is heading up the expansion charge. “All of those factors make Utah the ideal expansion market.”
What could stop it from landing a team: The sports community in Salt Lake City is strong, as evidenced by attendance and television ratings figures from the Jazz, University of Utah and Brigham Young University. The dedication of those fans would need to outweigh a market size that would be in the lower ranks of MLB. Early polling has been enthusiastic about the prospect of joining MLB. As the process continues, the biggest hurdle may be getting MLB’s decision makers to see Salt Lake City not just as a growing, high-functioning sports market, but a real baseball town. If the Oakland Athletics were to choose Utah as a temporary home, that might go a long way toward fast-tracking that process. –Doolittle
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Tisha Thompson
Federal prosecutors recommended a 57-month prison sentence Thursday for Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, and released an audio recording in which they say he impersonates Ohtani in an attempt to wire money from Ohtani’s bank account.
In a separate court filing, Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael G. Freedman, said Mizuhara has suffered from a gambling addiction since he was a teenager and asked for an 18-month sentence.
Mizuhara was fired in March 2024 after an ESPN investigation uncovered he had sent millions in wire transfers from Ohtani’s account to an illegal bookmaker. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return in June, admitting that he stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts to an illegal bookmaker. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 6.
According to the prosecutors’ filing, Mizuhara called the bank and impersonated Ohtani on approximately 24 occasions in order to wire money from Ohtani’s account. In the recording, which prosecutors said was made Feb. 2, 2022, a bank employee asked Mizuhara to identify himself.
“Who am I speaking with?” the bank employee asked in the recording, which was first obtained by The Athletic.
“Shohei Ohtani,” Mizuhara replied.
Mizuhara told the bank employee that he could not log in to online banking. “I tried to make a wire transfer a couple of days ago. They told me that’s probably the reason, they transferred me to this number,” he said.
After Mizuhara recited a six-digit code she texted him for two-factor authentication, Mizuhara told her he needed to send $200,000 for a car loan.
“What is your relationship to the payee?” the agent asked.
“He’s my friend,” Mizuhara responded.
“Have you met your friend in person?” she asked.
“Yes, many times,” Mizuhara said.
“I just ask because we haven’t been able to verify the transaction,” the agent said before asking how Mizuhara received the wire information. Mizuhara told her he received it by email but later talked about it with the recipient in person.
“Will there be any future wires to your friend?” the agent asked.
“Possibly,” Mizuhara replied.
Prosecutors said the clip had been edited to redact the names of the bank and the person receiving the wires. ESPN reported in May that Mizuhara wired some of the money to the bank account of Ryan Boyajian, an associate of bookmaker Mathew Bowyer.
Prosecutors also recommended Mizuhara pay nearly $17 million in restitution to Ohtani as well as $1.1 million to the IRS.
In his filing, Freedman wrote that Mizuhara started gambling when he was 18 and visited casinos four to five times a week. At 22, he began playing online poker and betting on sports. While working for Ohtani at the Los Angeles Angels, Mizuhara’s gambling increased because of poker games hosted by other baseball players in hotel rooms, according to the filing. ESPN previously reported that Mizuhara met Bowyer at a poker game at the team hotel in San Diego in 2021.
Mizuhara placed about 19,000 bets with Bowyer over a two-year period and accumulated over $40 million in debt. Bowyer gave Mizuhara a startup credit of $20,000, Freedman wrote.
Freedman added that Mizuhara has been attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings three times a week.
Prosecutors wrote in a separate filing, however, that a gambling addiction “cannot fully explain defendant’s conduct because defendant used the stolen funds for numerous personal expenses that had nothing to do with gambling.”
“Ultimately, the government submits, the motivating factor behind defendant’s crimes was not a gambling addiction but rather greed,” prosecutors wrote.
In a letter also submitted to U.S. District Court Judge John W. Holcomb on Thursday, Mizuhara wrote that he felt like he was on call 24/7 and had almost no time off while working for Ohtani, who he first met while working as an interpreter for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan.
“Usually when a Japanese baseball player makes the move to the United States, they would bring over multiple staff members to take care of various tasks such as a driver, trainer, chef, off the field interpreter/support member, etc. but I was the only person Shohei brought along so naturally I had to support him on most of the above mentioned tasks,” Mizuhara wrote.
The Angels, Ohtani’s first team in the U.S., initially paid Mizuhara $85,000 before increasing his salary to $250,000 in 2022, according to the prosecutors’ filing. When he moved to the Dodgers with Ohtani in 2024, his salary grew to $500,000. Ohtani also paid Mizuhara a separate salary and gave him a Porsche Cayenne, the filing states.
In his letter, Mizuhara wrote that Ohtani paid him roughly $2,500 a month from October to January and $125 to $130 a month from February to September. Mizuhara said he struggled to make ends meet because he had to live near Ohtani in California, pay for his wife’s travel between the U.S. and Japan, and rent accommodations while traveling with Ohtani to Japan in the offseason.
“All of these extra expenses were taking a huge toll on me and I was living paycheck to paycheck, I would have to borrow money from family and friends some months to make ends meet,” Mizuhara wrote.
Mizuhara added that his wife, Naomi, also helped support Ohtani. She cooked him meals, watched his dog and helped him with broken nails he suffered while pitching.
“She truly supported both Shohei and I to the best of her abilities throughout the years and she never complained through all of this as she knew my priority was to support Shohei to the best of my ability,” Mizuhara wrote.
Naomi told the judge in a separate letter that Mizuhara is her “only family” after recently losing her parents and other family members, as well as their family dog. Unable to obtain a green card until 2023, she described becoming “emotionally unstable” and developed hearing loss and alopecia areata due to stress.
“I deeply regret not being able to support him or notice his struggles during that time,” she wrote.
At the end of his letter, Mizuhara asked for mercy from the judge and apologized to Ohtani.
“Lastly, I truly admire Shohei as a baseball player and a human being and I was committed to devote my life so Shohei can be the best version of himself on the field,” Mizuhara wrote. “I want to say I am truly sorry for violating his trust in me.”
Sports
Questions on the NFL draft’s top-10 picks: What are the Titans’ early plans? Which teams need QBs?
There are just three more games in the 2024 NFL season, and then all eyes will turn to the offseason. And teams with top-10 picks in the 2025 draft — which begins on April 24 — will be studying the group of prospects closely and starting to make plans for their selections.
This draft class is highlighted by a battle between Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders for the QB1 spot, and it is expected to have more high-end defensive players — such as Penn State’s Abdul Carter — than we saw last April. The Tennessee Titans have the top pick for the first time since 2016 (when they traded it to the Los Angeles Rams), and they’ll control a lot of what happens in Round 1. But the rest of the top 10 offers intrigue, too.
We asked our NFL Nation reporters, who cover teams with top-10 picks, to answer one big question about the early selections. Are the Titans, Browns and Giants all leaning toward finding a new QB in the draft? Is Tom Brady going to help the Raiders in their own QB search? Will the Bears pick a defender for the first time since 2018? Let’s dive in.
Jump to a team:
TEN | CLE | NYG | NE | JAX
LV | NYJ | CAR | NO | CHI
After they hired new GM Mike Borgonzi, what do we know about the Titans’ early plans at No. 1?
Borgonzi played a significant role in the Chiefs’ decision to trade up for Patrick Mahomes in 2017, and he’ll have to strongly consider taking a quarterback here. Titans coach Brian Callahan will get a closer look at the top prospects during both the East-West Shrine and Senior Bowl weeks. He didn’t close the door on Will Levis returning next season, but it’s pretty clear the organization is still searching for a franchise QB.
“Well, we got one quarterback under contract [Levis],” Callahan said during his season-ending press conference. “The other two are free agents, and we’re in position to potentially draft a quarterback.”
Callahan has been through the No. 1 pick process before with the Bengals, who took Joe Burrow in 2020. President of football operations Chad Brinker told ESPN he’d like to have more than the two picks the Titans currently have in the top 100, though. Tennessee hasn’t said it’s open for business yet, but a trade out of the first pick could easily address the organization’s desire to add more draft picks. — Turron Davenport
Does Deshaun Watson reinjuring his right Achilles tendon mean the Browns will definitely go QB at No. 2, or are other options still in play?
The Browns were always going to search for quarterback options in free agency and the draft, even before Watson’s setback. But a quarterback at No. 2 isn’t a given.
Cleveland would have to love one of the top prospects, and general manager Andrew Berry has often preached a philosophy of sticking to his board and taking the best player available. He has also shown a propensity to trade back and accumulate additional picks, which is something he alluded to in his end-of-season news conference.
“With having the second pick in the draft, whether we select a player or use it to maximize in another way, it gives us an opportunity to really pivot if we need to,” Berry said. — Daniel Oyefusi
Are the Giants more likely to address their QB spot in the draft or free agency?
It may not be an either/or proposition. The Giants have made it their “No. 1 issue” this offseason to find their quarterback of the future, according to owner John Mara. Their plan entering this past season was to draft a quarterback if it didn’t work out with Daniel Jones. But the timing of it all following Jones’ release in November could dictate that the Giants address the position in both free agency and the draft.
Tommy DeVito will be their only quarterback under contract this offseason. They will likely need a strong contingency from free agency in March, just in case they can’t get a quarterback at the top of the draft. Remember, Mara made it clear the pressure is on to produce in 2025. — Jordan Raanan
Is this an obvious spot for one of the top offensive tackles in the class, or could the Patriots address other holes?
New coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged the offensive line as a top priority in his introductory news conference. “You look at the teams that are able to protect the quarterback and dictate the flow of the game offensively; making sure that up front we’re sound, we’re strong — whether that’s through free agency or the draft — that’s something that’s critical,” Vrabel said.
The Patriots have ranked last in the NFL in pass block win rate each of the past two seasons. But that doesn’t mean they will automatically pick an offensive tackle at No. 4. They need blue-chip players at other positions, such as receiver, defensive line and pass rusher. — Mike Reiss
What are the Jaguars’ biggest roster weaknesses headed into the offseason?
Everything has to do with pass defense. The safety play has been subpar and they likely won’t re-sign Andre Cisco. They need another cornerback opposite Tyson Campbell, and the pass rush — outside of defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker — was spotty this season.
The Jaguars were last in the league in passing yards allowed per game (257.4, the third-worst mark in franchise history), picked off only six passes and gave up 23 pass plays of 30 or more yards. Hines-Allen dipped from 17.5 sacks in 2023 to eight, though Walker became the second player in franchise history to record 10 or more sacks in consecutive seasons. Moving Arik Armstead back inside may boost the interior rush, but the Jaguars need another edge rusher and to improve in coverage. — Michael DiRocco
What are you hearing on how much Tom Brady could play a role in the Raiders’ QB search?
The Raiders, who added Brady as a minority owner, need a coach and general manager before making a choice on QB1. Still, Raiders owner Mark Davis said the seven-time Super Bowl champion would indeed be involved.
“Although Tom can’t play, I think he can help us select a quarterback in the future and potentially train him as well,” Davis said in October, when Brady’s ownership stake was approved.
Of course, that brings us to the prospect with whom Brady has already been linked — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. In fact, it was Davis who told Sanders at a Las Vegas Aces game on Oct. 5, “Who knows, you might be home right now.” — Paul Gutierrez
Outside of quarterback, what other needs could the Jets fill with their first-round pick?
Think defense. The Jets finished 23rd in defensive EPA, which was way down from third in 2023. They will need a cornerback to pair with Sauce Gardner, assuming they lose their second option D.J. Reed in free agency. And there has been some talent drain on the once-formidable defensive line, which could use more blue-chip talent in the room other than Quinnen Williams. Edge rusher isn’t a major need, assuming defensive end Jermaine Johnson returns to form after his right Achilles tendon injury, but it would be hard to pass on an elite prospect.
The overall drafting philosophy will be shaped by the new general manager and head coach. Scheme will play an important factor in these decisions. — Rich Cimini
What do we know about whether it’s defense all the way for Carolina at No. 8?
Carolina won’t be all-in on defense with nine picks, but the top selections should be heavy on that side of the ball. General manager Dan Morgan, a former Pro Bowl linebacker, took it personally that his team ranked last in total defense (404.5 yards allowed per game) and against the run (179.8 yards allowed per game). He kept defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, implying this was more of a personnel problem.
The offense is headed in the right direction with quarterback Bryce Young and other key players returning. So adding an edge rusher, safety help and a big run stopper will be the focus. Just don’t look for this to be a defensive sweep as it was in 2020, when Carolina became the first team in NFL history to use all of its seven draft picks on defense. It still needs an elite receiver and more depth at running back. — David Newton
With the Saints’ big needs and cap issues, is this looking like a best-player-available approach right now?
At $70.6 million over the cap in 2025 (per Roster Management System), the Saints are likely going to have to draft for need. But their biggest need is open to interpretation. They are looking for successors at defensive end and linebacker for 35-year-olds Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis, respectively. They also could use another wide receiver to slot alongside Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, as well as permanent fixes to the offensive line.
A quarterback might be on their mind, too, depending on the wants of the Saints’ next coach. But as general manager Mickey Loomis pointed out at his end-of-season news conference, they don’t have the luxury of a top pick to do that. And Derek Carr has two years remaining on his four-year, $150 million contract. — Katherine Terrell
The Bears haven’t used a first-round pick on defense since 2018. What are the chances that streak ends in 2025?
The Bears have major needs to address in the trenches, so it’s fair to say Chicago using its first-round selection on a pass rusher is at 50%.
When asked about top defensive end Montez Sweat‘s disappointing season (5.5 sacks), general manager Ryan Poles said adding more talent is the best way to defeat the number of double-teams and chips that Sweat receives. Creating more one-on-one matchups would allow Chicago’s pass rush win rate to improve from its 37% finish in 2024, which was a slight step up from the previous season but still ranked 24th in the NFL. — Courtney Cronin
Sports
Dodgers land another star? Jays do (or don’t) extend Vlad Jr.? Bold predictions for the rest of the MLB offseason
With Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott and Anthony Santander coming off the board recently, MLB free agency has entered the homestretch — but there are still plenty of big moves to come in the final month before spring training arrives.
Where will the top remaining free agents, including Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman, land? Will we see more blockbuster trades? And will the Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reach an extension to avoid the star hitting free agency after the 2025 season?
We asked our MLB experts to go out on a limb and make a bold prediction for how this action-packed winter will wrap up.
Free agency
Jorge Castillo: Pete Alonso will re-sign with the New York Mets.
Alonso, a beloved homegrown star in Queens, remains a free agent. The Mets, with money to burn, could still use another right-handed-hitting slugger. A reunion seems almost too obvious. Add the fact that both sides are open to a three-year deal with opt-outs, according to a source, and it’s a matter of only believing it won’t happen when Alonso signs on the dotted line to play elsewhere.
Yes, the Mets have recently started spending money elsewhere (Jesse Winker and A.J. Minter). Yes, they could slide Mark Vientos across the diamond and give the third baseman job to Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio or Luisangel Acuña. Yes, Alonso is a first baseman on the wrong side of 30 with defensive limitations and little value on the basepaths. But Alonso is one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball since debuting in 2019. He has proved he can thrive in New York City. Put him behind Juan Soto, which would give him more fastballs to devour, and Alonso will remain one of the most productive power hitters in the majors for the next three seasons.
The Mets have had a great winter, but the Dodgers have created a super team with the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres also fighting for National League supremacy. The competition is stiff. Maybe negotiations between the two sides have burned the bridge to a deal. But it wouldn’t take much to build another one and make it happen.
David Schoenfield: Alex Bregman to … the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Why should the Dodgers stop now? If Bregman can’t find the big deal he wants, the Dodgers might be a surprise fit. Max Muncy is a free agent after 2025 and prone to strikeouts. Hyeseong Kim‘s bat projects as more of a utility infielder than a starting second baseman. Bregman can shift between second and third in 2025 and then replace Muncy in 2026. Too much money even for the Dodgers? Not really. Between Muncy, Chris Taylor, Michael Conforto and Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers have $49.5 million coming off the books after this season (and the pitching staff is set for years).
Bradford Doolittle: Bregman will sign with the Detroit Tigers.
There are lots of reasons why this makes sense, with the exception being positional fit since Detroit added another infielder in Gleyber Torres. Nevertheless, the Tigers have the payroll space to add Bregman and his positional versatility gives the team a lot of leeway in how to use him for the duration of the contract. He could start at any of the infield spots, and Detroit could move players around Torres to make a number of configurations work. Bregman would be the perfect veteran presence for a young team at the outset of a new window of winning. His history with manager A.J. Hinch gives him a comfort zone. Bregman has to end up somewhere and this makes the most sense to me.
Trades
Alden Gonzalez: The San Diego Padres will make a blockbuster deal.
It was less than four months ago that the Padres had the Dodgers on the ropes in the NL Division Series, needing only a victory at home to eliminate L.A. once more. Since then, Padres general manager A.J. Preller has watched his hated rivals not only defeat arguably the most well-rounded team he has ever assembled but win the World Series and then proceed to sign practically every player they want — including Sasaki, the Japanese phenom Preller coveted most. As for Preller himself? January is almost over, and he has yet to add to his major league roster.
There’s no chance that continues. And because the free agent class has dwindled significantly and money remains tight in San Diego, look for Preller to swing a big trade before spring training — the type we have seen from him often. Holes remain in the Padres’ rotation and throughout their lineup. Dylan Cease, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez and Jake Cronenworth can all be had, and the guess here is that at least one of those four will go. Preller has stood pat for far too long. It won’t continue.
Jesse Rogers: The Boston Red Sox will trade for Nolan Arenado.
After exhausting attempts to sign Bregman, the Red Sox pivot to Arenado as the St. Louis Cardinals start to exhibit a bit of desperation with the season approaching. The fit in St. Louis just isn’t right anymore and everyone knows it. The Cardinals aren’t concerned with money owed to Arenado, so they’re willing to pick up a portion of it because they want quality prospects in return. Boston can deliver that.
Eric Karabell: Arenado will be traded to the Seattle Mariners.
The Cardinals have made it clear they must move on from Arenado to install Nolan Gorman at third base. We heard rumors of the Red Sox, Blue Jays and other teams interested. We haven’t heard about the Mariners, but all they have done is sign utility man Donovan Solano. The Arenado of old might never return — at the plate, at least — but the Cardinals seem so desperate, watch them handle the bulk of his contract and leave Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto with little choice. Arenado is coming off one of his worst seasons, but this Mariners lineup could use even league average hitters at this point.
Vlad Jr.’s future in Toronto
Paul Hembekides: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will turn down a $400 million extension with the Blue Jays.
Feb. 18. That is Toronto’s first full-squad workout, and more importantly, the self-imposed deadline for extension talks between Vlad Jr. and the organization.
Guerrero, who turns 26 on March 16, is entering his walk year at an opportune time — he slashed .323/.396/.544 (166 OPS+) in 2024, which propelled him to a sixth-place American League MVP finish. The Blue Jays must pay up to retain their homegrown star — they’ll offer him a $400 million extension within the next month, but he’ll reject their overtures and chase free agency instead.
Kiley McDaniel: Toronto will reach an extension with Guerrero.
It’s obviously easier to predict something won’t happen — such as Vlad Jr. looking to test the market next winter or holding out for a better offer from Toronto — than predicting a deal being struck. That said, Toronto needs to make a big move, and after Shohei Ohtani, Soto and Sasaki weren’t that move, the heat is on.
Extending Vlad Jr. is the move the Jays can make as their headline move of the offseason. The longer they wait, the more likely it is that a team with a different economic reality jumps in next winter to top what Toronto can exclusively offer now. The price is a question — I’d think to start at Rafael Devers‘ 10-year, $313.5 million extension from two years ago and adjust for inflation. Regardless, it’s an AAV the Jays can stomach — and it’s a franchise move they need to make as soon as possible.
Off-the-field drama
Buster Olney: Players will start to complain about having to play in a minor league park.
Remember how last year the quality of the uniforms suddenly became a really big deal, and we started to hear a lot from players about that? Well, at some point in the next two months, the fact that the Athletics will be playing in a minor league park is going to become a thing. Players will soon be face-to-face with the reality that they’ll be playing in Sacramento — in a park with one-third the capacity of a stadium like Tropicana Field, with an average July temperature of 95 degrees — and the commentary will begin and roll all the way through the regular season. As with the uniforms: It’ll be a disgrace.
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