The Florida Marlins are not the only team with stadium woes. The team in the Land of 10,000 Lakes is also having a bit of a problem. The Twins looking for money from the state legislature to build a new stadium received some bad news. Stop me when this starts sounding familiar.
-- Minneapolis Star Tribune
So the Twins could be first in line for the Las Vegas opening, not the Marlins. If this happens, so be it. I guess the Twins will become the Las Vegas Rats and thus becoming affectionately known as the "Rat Pack". I could continue this theme out but I will spare you my lame sense of humor.
So where does this leave the Marlins assuming an agreement on a new stadium can't be reached and Las Vegas is off the table?
I suppose there are two obvious choices. The first, move the team to Minneapolis and play in the vacated Homer Dome. I wouldn't recommend this unless for some unfathomable reason the Twins left behind Johan Santana and he comes with the deal.
The second is, of course, Portland, Oregon. Portland has always been my first choice of the locations if the Marlins have to relocate. The reason I value it over Las Vegas is that in Las Vegas the team will be just another sideshow in the vast Vegas entertainment spectacle. In Portland the team will be a main summer attraction.
If all of this happens then the NL divisions will need to realign. The move of the Marlins to the NL West will leave 4 teams in the East, 6 teams in the Central and 6 teams in the West. One team from the Central will need to move to the East and the best candidate geographically is Pittsburgh. Should Pittsburgh move into the East, Atlanta's reign of division championships will be in grave jeopardy - the Pirates own the East.