Rob Manfred hinted that geographical realignment for Major League Baseball’s divisions could be on the horizon.
The MLB commissioner appeared on ESPN’s broadcast of Sunday night’s Little League Classic between the Mets and Mariners when the topic of expansion and realigned divisions came up.
While Manfred hinted at the idea of more geographically friendly divisions, there was one major catch that came along with it.
“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign,” Manfred said. “I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN, because you’d be playing out of the East and out of the West.”
MLB hasn’t expanded since the Diamondbacks and Rays entered the league in 1998, but the league is reportedly eying expansion once the Athletics and Rays solve their stadium situations.
Nashville has been among the list of cities that could be eying bringing an MLB franchise to town and one that the league is interested in, according to USA TODAY.
“I think the owners realize there is demand for major league baseball in a lot of great cities, and we have an opportunity to do something good around that expansion process,” Manfred said.
Manfred had previously stated that he would like to add two more teams to MLB before he retires as commissioner in 2029.
The idea of realignment would likely mean the end of the American League and National League, bringing baseball more in line with the way the NBA and NHL align their divisions.
And it would constitute one of the biggest shakeups in baseball, which has occurred more frequently in recent years as Manfred has worked to change the rules of the game, schedule and the postseason format in order to boost interest.
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