Part 6/7:
As the Portland Diamond Project pushes forward, the overarching question remains whether MLB is ready for expansion at this moment. There have been years of discussion but no firm commitments from the league for new teams. Furthermore, existing teams like the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays have yet to settle their own stadium issues, which unknownly delays opportunities for expansion.
For Portland, lobbying for a relocation of teams currently in flux may prove to be a more fruitful strategy in the short term. The situation remains dynamic, but the groundwork laid by the Diamond Project and the state of Oregon could indeed lead to a major breakthrough in MLB's presence on the West Coast.