Evanson: Major League Baseball is becoming a perpetual tease

Published 2:00 pm Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Here we go again.

Last week, the Portland Diamond Project released their latest renderings for a prospective MLB stadium to be built on the proposed site located on the south waterfront.

It was of course majestic, with a retractable roof, a modern feel and a view reminiscent of San Francisco’s Oracle Park where Giants players have been splashing home runs into “McCovey Cove” since the venue was built 25 years ago.

But while interesting for even the most laymen of fans, and unequivocally exciting for baseball fanatics frothing at the mouth at the idea of the sport’s best doing their thing on the regular in the Rose City, I’m inclined to turn my back on the advances of the same “girl” that has and continues to leave me at the altar.

It’s been roughly eight years since the Portland Diamond Project reared it’s not-so-ugly head and announced its serious intention of bringing a MLB team to PDX. Since, they’ve spoken a fair amount and have continued to quietly promote their endeavor.

But while undoubtedly steadfast regarding their intent, their action has been only the cheese that we mice can and seemingly will only be able to see and smell opposed to touch.

The latest rendering is not the first. In fact, it’s the third such depiction we’ve seen or caught wind of over the past handful of years.

First it was the stadium designed for the Terminal 2 port site set just south of the Fremont Bridge; later it was the Lloyd District; and later yet there was talk of — while no illustrations to my knowledge — a ballpark on the site of what’s now Redtail Golf Course in Beaverton.

Additionally, the PDP has become more chummy with local politicians of late, joining forces with Portland Mayor Keith Wilson who has emerged as a vocal proponent of the project and was part of a legislative committee that PDP CEO Craig Cheek presented the latest renderings to this past week.

But with every announcement about stadiums and illustrations to paint the picture of what could be, along with political and financial support, we’re all stuck with what isn’t as we wait for MLB to give us what we want and have been seeking for what seems like many moons.

It was once thought that the Oakland A’s were an option due to their endless fight with the city of Oakland regarding a new facility, but they’ve since chosen Las Vegas.

The Tampa Bay Rays too were once considered up for grabs as a result of their ongoing stadium and ownership situation, but that appears less likely of late.

So now our baseball and prospective stadium hopes lie not in an existing franchise moving out, but rather an expansion one moving in contingent on MLB’s desire to put a team in Portland.

How likely is that? It’s hard to say.

Salt Lake City is making a serious push; Nashville is as well; Charlotte and Sacramento too have joined the fight; and even Montreal and Mexico City have been mentioned as prospective international options.

But often Portland is mentioned as having a leg-up, so just maybe where there’s smoke there will actually be fire?

Optimists would lean that direction, but as an A-list cynic, experience and history has me leaning the other way.

No one wants an MLB team here more than I. For far too long Portland has been a one-trick professional pony when it comes to big-boy sports (sorry Timbers and Thorns, you’re still not quite there), and while we seemingly have the market size to support it, we continue to be without a chair when the big-boy leagues looking to expand shut off the music.

The Portland Diamond Project is trying to change that, and for that I commend them. But while land deals are nice and stadiums are exciting, none of it works without a team — and that is what remains the problem.