Portland is the "most organized" city and will be the first option for Major League Baseball expansion when the league looks to add another franchise to the league, according to a baseball official who spoke to Jayson Stark of The Athletic.

In the story, Stark notes that Portland headlines a list of seven cities vying for an expansion team in the coming years. That list includes other contending cities like Charlotte, Montreal, Las Vegas, Mexico City and San Antonio or Austin. But long shots like Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Connecticut, or another team in massive media markets like New York, North Jersey, or Los Angeles could also be options down the road.

But Portland is the clear favorite, according to Stark.

The baseball scribe lists a variety of reasons Portland tops his list, but most importantly might be the fact that the city is the most organized of the suitors. Portland Diamond Project - the group working to bring a MLB team to Portland - has already been lining up big-name investors like Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife, Ciara, which lends credibility to the effort. And the group has quickly been putting together a stadium financing plan while bidding on sites in the Portland area and working to gain a foothold in the city.

Stark has more on the effort to bring baseball to Portland, MLB expansion, league realignment and more over at The Athletic. (subscription required)

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