Barry Larkin, a Cincinnati Reds legend and Baseball Hall of Famer, has joined the Orlando Dreamers in an effort to attract a Major League Baseball franchise to the city. Larkin expressed his conviction that Orlando represents a compelling market for MLB expansion during an announcement made on Wednesday, as reported by Moneyline.

As the newly appointed MLB Ambassador for the Dreamers, Larkin will lead initiatives concerning relationships and communications with Major League Baseball, while also providing strategic guidance for the baseball project in Orlando. He mentioned that he has already engaged in discussions with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred regarding the potential for bringing a team to the area.

Larkin, who spent his entire 19-year career with the Cincinnati Reds, moved to Orlando following his retirement and has since raised his family there. The Dreamers, co-founded by the late Pat Williams and Jim Schnorf in 2019, aim to establish an MLB franchise in Orlando. Schnorf indicated that Larkin's involvement has sparked significant interest from local investors, securing verbal commitments exceeding $200 million toward minority ownership in the proposed franchise. With the support of Commissioner Manfred, who has indicated a desire for the league to expand by 2029 with at least one new team in the Eastern Time Zone, Larkin is now focused on the ambitious goal of bringing MLB to Orlando.