When and if Major League Baseball ever decides to move forward with expansion, Salt Lake City remains a favorite to land a new team along the Wasatch Front.

MLB insider reports expansion could end the 162-game schedule, with a proposed 156-game model gaining traction in future league plans.

Others are less definitive on Salt Lake City getting an expansion team, but ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle noted this week that Salt Lake City is among four cities located in the West that have a real shot and landing a franchise, along with San Jose, California; Portland, Oregon; and Vancouver, British Columbia.

In addition to its strong success with the Portland Beavers, there are plenty of MLB cities with a lower populace than the City of Roses. Portland trumps Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Cleveland and Milwaukee in populace, and when the Trail Blazers have been good in the past, the fans come out.

ESPN's Jeff Passan called Nashville "almost a shoo-in" to get an MLB expansion team after comments by commissioner Rob Manfred

If the league expands to 32 teams, it seems more likely that the season will last 156 games — or possibly 154 — than 162. Here's why.