MLB plans to expand to 32 teams with geographic realignment that would remove traditional National and American League allegiances. The proposed realignment is pitched as reducing player travel and improving postseason scheduling to better serve broadcasters and West Coast viewers. Expansion would likely place the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox in the same division. Financial incentives for owners include reduced travel costs and larger national TV deals. Observers note players already travel comfortably and point to recent sport changes—pitch clock, ghost runner, robot umpires, and Pete Rose reinstatement—as part of broader shifts under current leadership.
"We could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel," he said. "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. That 10 o'clock time slot, 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."
The only real questions are which cities and how much money the owners can line their pockets with from the billionaires looking to join their exclusive club. So that means 32 teams - and a chance for Manfred to make one last sport-altering change to cap off his legacy, which will include the pitch clock, the ghost runner in extra innings, robot umpires and capitulation to President Donald Trump in removing the lifetime ban from disgraced star Pete Rose.
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