MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Sunday during the ESPN broadcast of the Little League Classic between the Mariners-Mets that he can see the possibility of expansion and geographic realignment taking place in the future.
"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. I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN because you'd be playing out of the East, out of the West, and that 10 o'clock where we sometimes get Boston-Anaheim would be two West Coast teams. That 10 o'clock slot that's a problem for us sometimes becomes a real opportunity for our West Coast audience."
Rob Manfred says that MLB could geographically re-align if the league expands
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Manfred continued, "I think the owners realize there's demand for MLB in a lot of great cities, and we have an opportunity to do something good around that expansion process."
Manfred previously stated in 2024 that he hopes to "have a process in place" for MLB to expand to 32 teams by the time he retires when his contract expires in 2029. It's been nearly 30 years since MLB last expanded to get to 30 teams by adding the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays in 1998. Both Salt Lake City, Utah, and Nashville, Tennessee, have previously been viewed as frontrunners to earn expansion teams, but expansion is not expected to take place until the Athletics and Rays' stadium situations are resolved.
If/when expansion does take place, it looks like MLB will also be shaking up the structure of the its two leagues and eight divisions as well.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rob Manfred Opens Up on Possibility of Expansion, Geographic Realignment.
