MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred dropped hints Sunday that the league could soon expand and geographically realign, potentially shifting the landscape of the entire league.
While speaking during the Little League Classic broadcast, Manfred said there are many benefits to a potential expansion, noting that it would likely coincide with geographical alignment.
“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign. 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 up out of the east or out of the west, and that 10 o’clock time slot where we would sometimes get Boston-Anaheim would be two west coast teams,” he explained, per Athlon Sports.
This growth would be a significant step for the MLB, which has not entertained any league expansion since the 1998 season when the Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks joined the league to make it an even 30 teams.
Manfred also detailed how many of the league officials are in favor of the potential growth, saying that the owners are seemingly in favor of the change.
“I think the owners realize there’s demand for Major League Baseball in a lot of great cities, and we have an opportunity to do something good around that expansion process,” he said, according to Athlon Sports.
While Manfred did not specify how these changes would take place, there are examples in other leagues of conferences based on the team located in the Eastern and Western portions of the U.S.
The most notable league with this setup is the National Basketball Association, which includes 30 total teams and 15 teams in both the Eastern and Western conferences.
The commissioner’s comments coincide with previous reports that the MLB has been considering expansion for some time, with the league already having plans for which cities could be the most profitable for expansion.
MLB Insider Bob Nightengale reported in July that the league currently views Salt Lake City, Utah, and Nashville as the two most likely cities for expansion, with no future plans to add another team in the Bay Area following the departure of the Athletics.
Although there are no plans in place to act on these expansion possibilities, Manfred’s willingness to discuss the change could mean that it is coming soon.