Rob Manfred usually does what many followers think about an annoyingly efficient job of maintaining Main League Baseball’s strategic plans out of the general public sq..
So possibly the MLB commissioner was caught in an unguarded second, staring down at a diamond from the ESPN “Sunday Evening Baseball” sales space within the cozy confines of Williamsport, Pa., and the Little League World Sequence.
Or possibly his feedback had been calculated. Both manner, he spoke freely about how increasing from the present 30 groups may create an excellent probability to reset the way in which groups are aligned in divisions and leagues.
Manfred was requested on air for a window into the long run. Enlargement, realignment, each?
“The primary two subjects are associated, in my thoughts,” he replied. “I feel if we increase, it supplies us with a possibility to geographically realign. I feel we may save a whole lot of put on and tear on our gamers by way of journey. And I feel our postseason format can be much more interesting for entities like ESPN, since you’d be taking part in out of the East and out of the West.”
Taking that considering to an excessive would put the Dodgers and Angels in a division with, say, the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Las Vegas Athletics and Seattle Mariners.
Would that assortment — let’s name it the Pacific Division — be a part of the American or Nationwide League? Perhaps neither. As a substitute, geographic realignment may lead to Jap and Western Conferences just like the NBA.
Pushback from traditionalists could be vigorous. Name them leagues, name them conferences, geographical realignment would make for some unusual bedfellows.
Former MLB participant and present MLB Community analyst Cameron Maybin posted on X that ensuring the divisions are balanced is extra necessary than geography.
“Manfred’s realignment speak isn’t nearly shifting groups round, it tilts playoff stability,” Maybin mentioned on X. “Some divisions get watered down others overloaded and rivalries that drive October story strains we love, vanish. Baseball wants aggressive integrity not manufactured shakeups.”
But Manfred makes a persuasive argument that grouping groups by geographic location would have its advantages.
“That 10 o’clock time slot the place we typically get misplaced in Anaheim can be two West Coast groups,” he mentioned. “Then that 10 o’clock spot that’s an issue for us turns into a possibility for our West Coast viewers. I feel the homeowners understand there’s a demand for Main League Baseball in a whole lot of nice cities, and we have now a possibility to do one thing good round that enlargement course of.”
Manfred mentioned in February that he’d like enlargement to be accepted by 2029, his final 12 months as commissioner. MLB hasn’t expanded for the reason that Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay (Satan) Rays had been added in 1998.
Enlargement groups “received’t be taking part in by the point I’m completed, however I would really like the method alongside and [locations] chosen,” Manfred mentioned.
A number of cities are courting MLB for a franchise, and the league is reported to be leaning towards Nashville and Salt Lake Metropolis as favorites. Portland, Orlando, San Antonio and Charlotte are different prospects.
The Occasions’ Invoice Shaikin has identified that geographical realignment can be tied to schedule reform that would assist kindle rivalries and encourage followers to go to opposing ballparks which can be inside driving distance.
The longer term residence of the Rays is in flux, and that call seemingly will precede MLB selecting enlargement cities, even after the current information that Florida developer Patrick Zalupski has agreed to pay $1.7 billion for the workforce.
Zalupski’s workforce of traders reportedly prefers to maintain the Rays close to Tampa. If that turns into gospel, MLB can flip its consideration to selecting the place new groups would name residence.
And shortly afterward, if Manfred’s imaginative and prescient involves fruition, geographical realignment would comply with, and the Southern California Freeway Sequence may change into simply one other collection between divisional rivals.
