Rob Manfred is once again talking about change, and this time it could be the biggest one yet.
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The Major League Baseball commissioner appeared on ESPN's broadcast of Sunday night's Little League Classic between the Mets and Mariners, where the conversation turned to expansion and realignment. Manfred didn't shy away from the idea.
"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."
That hint carries a massive catch: realignment could mean the end of the American and National Leagues as baseball has known them for more than a century. The two-league setup has long been part of the sport's identity, but Manfred is pushing the game toward an NBA- or NHL-style structure.
Expansion, meanwhile, has been on MLB's radar for years. The league has not added a team since 1998, when the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays joined. Before any new clubs arrive, the A's and Rays are expected to finalize new stadium deals — Las Vegas and St. Petersburg both being in play.
Nashville remains high on the list of possible expansion cities, with other markets also lobbying for a team.
"I think the owners realize there is demand for major league baseball in a lot of great cities," Manfred said. "We have an opportunity to do something good around that expansion process."
Manfred has stated before that he wants two new franchises in place before his planned retirement in 2029. If realignment follows, it would mark one of the boldest reshapes of the sport in decades.
