Leaving Baltimore... possible?

[Todd-O]

I'm not sure how many of you have had this cross your mind... but I'm beginning to wonder if the Orioles will be in Baltimore by 2030.  I've never even considered this as a possibility until the last year... and it is painfully evident that the Washington Nationals are hell bent on becoming a 500-lb gorilla in the MLB world.  They've eclipsed the luxury tax twice in two years and have made some huge big money moves... this goes without mentioning that their presence along the Anacostia has spun-up huge renovation and life in a massively large population area (as compared to Baltimore).  

Add that notion to the fact that Baltimore is continually playing a small market card, and it makes me wonder if we could see a point as to which the O's are squeezed out of the Balt/Wash market.  T

This area is uniquely tied together... and the fact that the MLB lacks any kind of rigid salary cap... if the O's really do collapse into mediocre baseball following 2018, how long can the team hold on to any market presence when a giant is writing checks just 20 miles away?

[SteveA]

Oakland lacks the stadium we have and yet they haven't been squeezed out of Oakland.

All we need is a good GM in charge with an owner who doesn't put absurd non-payroll-defined restrictions on him like avoiding international players, extreme medical vetting, refusing to sign free agent pitchers beyond a certain contract threshhold that is woefully out of date.

Since the contract of our GM and the expected lifespan of our owner are probably relatively short at this time, we'll at least have a CHANCE to see it the next GM and owner can fit the bill.

There's no reason we can't compete.

And for all the Nationals' success, we have matched .500+/sub-.500 seasons with them exactly in 11 of the 12 years they have been in DC, and have actually advanced farther in the playoffs than they have.

[Can_of_corn]

OPACY is not going to lie vacant in my lifetime.

1. MLB teams rarely move.
2. There are already a couple prime candidates to move.
3. Limited number of markets that can both support a team and not infringe upon another team's territory.
4. OPACY is a national treasure.

[Frobby]

Anything is possible.    But I consider it unlikely that the Orioles would ever move.    And if they did, they’d be dead to me.    

I think the MASN deal guarantees that the O’s will always squeak by.    No matter how the arbitration turns out, they’ll  always have rights fees equal to the Nats’, and at least 67% of the profits left after paying the rights fees.   That and 2 million in atttndance is enough to get by.

[Number5]

33 minutes ago, Todd-O said:

when a giant is writing checks just 20 miles away

38.

[Luke-OH]

MLB will be adding 2 teams, probably in the near future.  So that, plus a few teams that have worse situations than the Orioles makes it highly unlikely in my opinion.

[MikeAD]

Of the fan demographics keep trending whiter, older and towards a higher income keeping a team in Baltimore will be tougher year after year especially as the Nats get better and the DC metro area opens up access wise to additional areas of DMV.  I agree with others that it seems very unlikely but I at least think it’s plausible. The future of baseball crowds needs to be younger geared towards people with less “money” but more disposable income. I feel like Detroit and Baltimore are the places to try to attempt this shift as the crowds moving there and staying there are younger, techier etc. I don’t have a full theory just something I’ve been thinking of. We shouldn’t overlook the Nats growth and I’m not sure ownership could resist a move or sale if there’s a long stretch of years with low attendance while the Nats experience the opposite.  It’s hard to recover from that. Not saying it will for sure happen just it would be damned hard to recover. 

[Ripken]

That ballpark will have a team forever.

We just need the team using it now to find a damn clue about its future.

[tntoriole]

The Orioles are Baltimore.  Baltimore is the birthplace of Babe Ruth.  Camden Yards is where Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record that will last forever.  Brooks and Frank and Jim and Earl and Cal and Eddie’s statues are out there.  When our friends to the south can someday perhaps point to even some of these historic achievements, it will be good for them and for us. 

But, MLB and baseball fans everywhere would not allow this to happen.  Too much history of the game, too much of the fabric of MLB. 

[wildcard]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Anything is possible.    But I consider it unlikely that the Orioles would ever move.    And if they did, they’d be dead to me.    

I think the MASN deal guarantees that the O’s will always squeak by.    No matter how the arbitration turns out, they’ll  always have rights fees equal to the Nats’, and at least 67% of the profits left after paying the rights fees.   That and 2 million in atttndance is enough to get by.

As long as the O's and MASN are together they will do well financially.  But if the Angelos split them apart the O's will be in trouble.

[terpspe]

I think it's more likely the Ravens move then the Orioles.  Ravens 30 year deal expires at the end of 2028 season.  Orioles with MASN guarantees, and the stadium will be profitable, may not be competitive.  Ravens if they don't win will see more attendance seasons like this last one, and the city is not getting richer or drawing more people.  Ravens could easily be the London team in a decade.

[rudyrooster]

Great stadium.  Great team history.  Not losing money (by most accounts).   I think the franchise in Baltimore is safe for the foreseeable and unforseeable future.

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

As long as the O's and MASN are together they will do well financially.  But if the Angelos split them apart the O's will be in trouble.

While I have no actual knowledge of this, it would not surprise me if he is contractually precluded from selling MASN separately from the team without MLB’s consent, given that the purpose of the MASN deal was to protect the franchise, not Angelos.   

[davearm]

5 hours ago, Luke-OH said:

MLB will be adding 2 teams, probably in the near future.

This is the best answer yet.

Expansion will soon bring teams to two worse markets than Baltimore.  Neither Baltimore nor any other team will be moved to a third iffy market.

[LookitsPuck]

7 hours ago, SteveA said:

Oakland lacks the stadium we have and yet they haven't been squeezed out of Oakland.

All we need is a good GM in charge with an owner who doesn't put absurd non-payroll-defined restrictions on him like avoiding international players, extreme medical vetting, refusing to sign free agent pitchers beyond a certain contract threshhold that is woefully out of date.

Since the contract of our GM and the expected lifespan of our owner are probably relatively short at this time, we'll at least have a CHANCE to see it the next GM and owner can fit the bill.

There's no reason we can't compete.

And for all the Nationals' success, we have matched .500+/sub-.500 seasons with them exactly in 11 of the 12 years they have been in DC, and have actually advanced farther in the playoffs than they have.

Extreme medical vetting? Doesn't explain why Gallardo made it through with his arm falling off.