ON DECK: MLB in Puerto Rico

One thing that kind of got buried in all the election hubbub: Puerto Rico allegedly voted to become a state.

Turns out that's not true, but for the sake of this column, could Puerto Rico ever be a viable option for a major sports franchise?

Off the top of my head, it seems baseball is the only sport that would work because of its intense popularity.

In 2003 and 2004, the Montreal Expos played 22 home games in San Juan. Despite the Puerto Rican venue being much smaller than Olympic Stadium in Montreal, the Expos still outdrew their Canadian attendance by almost 3,000 fans a game.

Puerto Rico was a finalist for the Expos' permanent relocation until Bud Selig decided on Washington, D.C.

With 30 teams and significant realignment changes for the 2013 season, I don't see expansion happening anytime soon. But if there's one place that deserves it, Puerto Rico might be it.