MLB Expansion Potential

[A Punched Face]

Passan: When MLB could expand to 32 teams -- and which cities are the favorites to get one

Expansion is inevitable. Here's what you need to know about the timeline, potential locations and remaining hurdles.

www.espn.com

Saw this pop up today and figured it would be worth discussion here. There are no immediate plans for 32, but the league will definitely want it. Expansion fees are now massive (in the billions), and there are two front runners for the league: Nashville in the East, Salt Lake City in the West.

There are other obvious candidates, especially out west with Portland and Vancouver, and there's always the draw to try and get back into Montreal.


In this they're saying that if/when it inevitably happens there might be some monumental realignments in place (the one they give as an example is NYY, NYM, BOS, and TOR in a division together). They also said there are thoughts on 4 divisions of 8 instead of 8 divisions of 4, and that it could just be AL/NL stay as is for any switches as opposed to mixing them up to get entirely (mostly) new divisions.


If this were to happen, what are your two preferred cities (with the assumption that the As will end up in Las Vegas), and how would you like to see them fit in? Keep AL/NL as is and add one team to each, with one East one West? Scrap AL/NL and make the best divisions possible? Move every team to Canada and try to find enough population centers to support 32 teams? Replace all the teams with Cricket and see if everyone notices?

 

[Crystal]

Replace all the teams with Cricket and see if everyone notices?

I'd actually watch if they did this!

 

[Webster]

Replace all the teams with Cricket and see if everyone notices?

I'd watch.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I don't like the idea of expansion. There are already too many shit teams due to bad ownership, poor management, and poor player development. The talent pool is already heavily diluted. Adding two or more teams will make it worse. Especially starting pitching. I don't think baseball has the talent pool to fill in two more pitching rotations.

 

[A Punched Face]

I don't like the idea of expansion. There are already too many shit teams due to bad ownership, poor management, and poor player development. The talent pool is already heavily diluted. Adding two or more teams will make it worse. Especially starting pitching. I don't think baseball has the talent pool to fill in two more pitching rotations.

I can see this view. I can also see a different view where baseball is doing great internationally and it would allow for better partnerships with international leagues for more development.

I didn't mention that one potential spot that keeps coming up for a team is Mexico City. It's not likely, but that it keeps coming up shows that the MLB wants to seriously looks at more development in Latin America.

I'm personally not too bothered by potential expansion. I think the NBA and MLB should both have 32 teams like the NHL and NFL, keeps it easy for number of teams in each league. Also there are cities out there I'd love to see with teams. Nashville definitely would be a great spot for an MLB team.


Also thank you for the first reply not based on my throwaway comment about cricket.


@Cole @The Eye in the Sky! @BigDaddy come in here and tell people they're stupid about baseball.

 

[Jon]

I'm with Fool's.

Sorry, but you need to fix the product at home first. It's too long of games, too boring and too long a season. Too many poverty franchises living off the luxury tax payouts because there is no cap and no floor. And no incentive to put a good product on the field when even a single team in your division spends money. Why waste your money on players when you can't beat the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, Cubs, etc of the big spenders anyway? Add to that that it doesn't matter who you root for because it's become everybody vs. the Dodgers, who are just the new Yankees.

You dropped almost a BILLION dollars on two players... both Japanese heritage mind you, this season. I fucking hate the Dodgers.

And the Red Sox. I grew up in Boston, they were my boys. But what that ownership has now done to that once great franchise is despicable. Fucking sell and get out.

 

[A Punched Face]

Oh I mean I'm all for shortening the season as well. Outside some of the more well in tuned fans, a lot of people just end up watching games because "oh hey there's one on tonight"

 

[Jon]

Oh I mean I'm all for shortening the season as well. Outside some of the more well in tuned fans, a lot of people just end up watching games because "oh hey there's one on tonight"

It's not JUST this though, in my eyes. Yes, shaving off something like 60 games would be ideal, but Fool's is spot on. There's no talent. Baseball overpays its players for the least risk of any of the major sports. The talent in the MLB is all coming from other countries nowadays. Contraction is never going to happen, but it should if you care about the posterity of the game.

The pitch clock "helped." It also helped MLB become a meme for it's balls and strikes calls. I used to be someone who knew every player in the MLB and in AAA and most of AA as well as top prospects in lower leagues too. I was obsessed. Wanted to play it for my life, and then wanted to coach when injuries derailed any career I could have had. Now, I can't even watch the games. Going TO games, I want to leave in the 5th. The changes baseball has to do to make it watchable in the same way football, hockey or basketball is, are too extreme and the league makes too much to ever consider it. Which is why you see them doing things like expansion and adding playoff teams instead of finding a way to make the game more action packed and faster.

You cannot tell me there is anything more fun than a playoff hockey game. You cannot tell me there it's more interesting than a regular season football game. Even basketball has interesting last 2 minutes of quarters (the rest of the game I've never understood personally). Baseball has none of that. 100 games of the year are useless to watch. Don't pay attention till April when hockey and basketball are done. Literally NOTHING about baseball screams MUST SEE TV!

And this is coming from someone who loves the game.

 

[Fire Queen]

mlb is never coming to the carolinas, full stop. the last time they tried it the public voted against it overwhelmingly lol. it's a shame since its the only one of the big four sports leagues missing in the carolinas but also baseball is the seinfeld of sports so it's whatever

 

[Jon]

mlb is never coming to the carolinas, full stop. the last time they tried it the public voted against it overwhelmingly lol. it's a shame since its the only one of the big four sports leagues missing in the carolinas but also baseball is the seinfeld of sports so it's whatever

The the Hornets, Panthers and Hurricanes all suck.

 

[Fire Queen]

you'll find no argument from me on those points (unfortunately ), although the canes are at least competent enough to make it to the playoffs before they flame out

 

[A Punched Face]

It's also weird because the Carolinas seem like a place where baseball could thrive in terms of year round weather possibilities, and not being too far from areas that tend to produce a lot of baseball talent.

 

[Fire Queen]

oh yeah listen, the carolinas are a college baseball hotbed. coastal, wake, unc, ecu, just to name a few. minor league also thrives here--the durham bulls had an entire damn kevin costner movie made about them and my city's team (formerly the hornets/bats and now the grasshoppers) had derek jeter, mariano rivera, giancarlo stanton, and robinson cano go through the system. but for some reason pro baseball is dead on arrival here

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

I don't think they should be expanded for the talent pool issue, but that's another matter. If they do expand, I think you hit it right Alu, Salt Lake would be a boon, great market there and Nashville is great for the AL. It fills the gap in the mid-south area that Charlotte could be, but the Carolinas hate baseball apparently.

I'm also not a purist that needs the divisions to stay the same. They used to be different in the past... other leagues mess with their conferences all the time. As long as the main rivals stay (Bos/NYY - LA/SD/SF - uhh... others) it could work. You could also create new rivals by mixing up the AL and NL. Orioles, Nationals, Phillies, Pirates in the same division? We can call it the Mid-Atlantic Bloodbath division. Northeast division is Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays. You've have to get creative in the middle of the country, but you could re-organize to make local teams have to win their part of the country, not just a made up division.

Rust belt division - Cubs, White Sox, Cleveland, Tigers, Brewers
Heartland division - Royals, Cardinals, Nashville, Reds, Twins
Southern division - Astros, Rangers, Braves, Marlins, Rays
Mountain division - Rockies, Diamondbacks, Salt Lake City, LV A's
Western Division - Mariners, Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Angels

I probably forgot some teams, but a realignment could be a cool way to change things up.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Breaking up the NL Central would be like breaking up the AL East or NFL's AFC North and NFC East.

You don't do that.

 

[A Punched Face]

I don't think they should be expanded for the talent pool issue, but that's another matter. If they do expand, I think you hit it right Alu, Salt Lake would be a boon, great market there and Nashville is great for the AL. It fills the gap in the mid-south area that Charlotte could be, but the Carolinas hate baseball apparently.

I'm also not a purist that needs the divisions to stay the same. They used to be different in the past... other leagues mess with their conferences all the time. As long as the main rivals stay (Bos/NYY - LA/SD/SF - uhh... others) it could work. You could also create new rivals by mixing up the AL and NL. Orioles, Nationals, Phillies, Pirates in the same division? We can call it the Mid-Atlantic Bloodbath division. Northeast division is Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays. You've have to get creative in the middle of the country, but you could re-organize to make local teams have to win their part of the country, not just a made up division.

Rust belt division - Cubs, White Sox, Cleveland, Tigers, Brewers
Heartland division - Royals, Cardinals, Nashville, Reds, Twins
Southern division - Astros, Rangers, Braves, Marlins, Rays
Mountain division - Rockies, Diamondbacks, Salt Lake City, LV A's
Western Division - Mariners, Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Angels

I probably forgot some teams, but a realignment could be a cool way to change things up.

I think the issue with these divisions is you would need to reduce it down to 4 teams. This is 25 of 32 teams, leaving only 7 teams left. (actually 24, your Mountain division has 4 and the rest have 5)

For the NL Central issue, probably put the Cubs, Cards, and Reds together. Maybe keep Pitt? I think those first three would be the important ones, much like The Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays would be the important 3 together from the AL East.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

The NL Central, and specifically the Reds and Pirates brought us this classic playoff moment:



If they're not in the same division, I don't think that chant happens.

 

[A Punched Face]

That's fair. Expansion always comes with that sort of risk for sure.

What would you want the teams to be called in those specific location?


I'll have to think what would be good for the two I'd pick (Nashville and Salt Lake City).

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Nashville should be music related, IMO. Salt Lake, maybe something related to the mountains the city sits right next to.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Or a Bonneville Speedway reference.

 

[A Punched Face]

Nashville should be music related, IMO. Salt Lake, maybe something related to the mountains the city sits right next to.

Utah is also the Beehive state, so it could be something related to bees/wasps etc.

100% agree Nashville should be music related. I saw something simple like the "Nashville Sound" as a suggestion, and a lot of people were thinking "Music City ____" which would certainly make for a good "City edition" team nickname.

 

[Jon]

The NL Central, and specifically the Reds and Pirates brought us this classic playoff moment:



If they're not in the same division, I don't think that chant happens.

Man... I've been on both ends of this (though granted nbot in a huge stadium as a player) but this is overrated AF. The fans didn't get in his head. He fucking hung a fastball to a pro hitter, it's gotta get smashed... He didn't hang it BECAUSE of the chant. He hung it because pitching is hard.

 

[Quagmire]

I really dont think there is enough talent out there to expand. I think we have a good amount of teams

 

[Dead2009]

If there's honestly any expansion in the near future, everyonehas to consider Montreal. Every time a game is played in their stadium, it gets sold out. They wouldnt be the Expos due to the Nationals having those rights but theyd be back at least.