Manfred believes Las Vegas could be viable for MLB expansion

With the National Hockey League expanding to Las Vegas at the start of next season, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged Tuesday that his league could also see a franchise in Sin City in the future.

"Las Vegas could be a viable market for us," Manfred told reporters, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I don't think that the presence of legalized gambling in Las Vegas should necessarily disqualify that market as a potential major league city."

Due to its close ties to gambling, Las Vegas had long been considered a no-go for professional franchises, but things have changed in recent years with the NHL, and possibly the NFL, seeing the city as a strong market.

With a population of over 623,000, Las Vegas is the 28th-most populated city in the United States, and with millions of tourists traveling to the city each year, it's likely that a professional sports team could be sustainable.

MLB does currently have some ties with the city. The New York Mets' Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s, are located downtown, while the last two National League MVPs, Kris Bryant and Bryce Harper, were both born there.