Media Proposal: MLB Expansion and Complete Realignment

[Moranis]

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/mlb-geographic-realignment-proposing-eight-divisions-expansion-teams-charlotte-portland?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMTESFjbGNrAxMRB2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeGJnBaexTJldBokXmSHTgu7sIGDRRAYFRPoittdIlJ3UK-NNA0x-8qKQI0qc_aem_fhQaXAFFpf5n69Pa4rcVpw

[Roy H.]

I updated the title so that people didn't think this was an actual MLB proposal.

[Roy H.]

I don't think it makes sense to have cities with two MLB teams (NY, Chicago, LA) be in the same league.  I know that that's part of the appeal to some people, but to me it's breaking up rivalries for the sake of doing so. 

[Moranis]

I think part of that is traveling expense, part of that is regional rivalries, and all of it is driven by revenue opportunities.  Having and East and West makes a lot of sense. The NFL can get away with it because they play so few games, but with year round interleague and the same rules, there is no reason to really not have realignment that better matches geography.

[Vermont Green]

I think this is a good idea.  Reduce travel.  It is really east and west more than AL and NL.

I would quibble a bit with MIN as a great lakes team.  MIN should be mid-west (NL).  CLE should be great lakes (AL), and then CIN in the mid-Atlantic (AL).  My proposed changes in red.  The Northeast division would be brutal.  The Red Sox might never win the division again.  It would be nice if there was at least one small market team in that division.

Northeast
New York Yankees
New York Mets
Boston Red Sox
Philadelphia Phillies

Mid-Atlantic
Baltimore Orioles
Washington Nationals
Pittsburgh Pirates
Cincinnati Reds

Great Lakes
Cleveland Guardians
Milwaukee Brewers
Detroit Tigers
Toronto Blue Jays

Southeast
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
Tampa Bay Rays
Charlotte (Expansion)

Midwest
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
St. Louis Cardinals
Minnesota Twins

Central
Colorado Rockies
Kansas City Royals
Texas Rangers
Houston Astros

Southwest
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Angels
Arizona Diamondbacks

Northwest
Seattle Mariners
Las Vegas Athletics
San Francisco Giants
Portland (Expansion)

[slamtheking]

the real realignment would be separating the major markets from the small markets into different leagues so there'd be some real competition on the field.  the small markets are just basically glorified minor league teams for the major markets at this point since they cannot financially retain their top players and have to trade them around the time when they can start making real money in arbitration or free agency.   That's coming from a Brewer fan in a season when they have the best record in baseball too at the moment.

also, if they're going to do this volume of rearranging, might as well ditch American and National leagues.  either go with East/West or just have 8 divisions period and build the playoffs based on division winners playing each other using final records as seeding.

[Roy H.]

I think part of that is traveling expense, part of that is regional rivalries, and all of it is driven by revenue opportunities.  Having and East and West makes a lot of sense. The NFL can get away with it because they play so few games, but with year round interleague and the same rules, there is no reason to really not have realignment that better matches geography.

Some geography, perhaps.  But, looking at the Northeast, is there a meaningful difference between Boston traveling to NY and Philly, versus traveling to Baltimore and Toronto?  We're talking maybe an extra half hour in the air.

I've got no problem with dumping Tampa, though. 

[Roy H.]

the real realignment would be separating the major markets from the small markets into different leagues so there'd be some real competition on the field.  the small markets are just basically glorified minor league teams for the major markets at this point since they cannot financially retain their top players and have to trade them around the time when they can start making real money in arbitration or free agency.   That's coming from a Brewer fan in a season when they have the best record in baseball too at the moment.

I get what you're saying, but MLB actually has pretty good parity.  In the AL, the worst team is a very large market (Chicago), and the only other team winning fewer than 45% of their games is the As.  The NL is a bit worse, but even there the Brewers are dominating, as you say.

But, what MLB needs is either a hard cap, or a really punishing NBA-style luxury tax.  Only a handful of teams need it -- the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, etc. -- but it would be good for the league.  Particularly fan interest:  no fan likes seeing all of the major free agents select from maybe five rich clubs.

[Donoghus]

They should pre-emptively place the White Sox in the Southeast since they'll be the Nashville White Sox when their lease runs out at Guaranteed Rate in a few years. 

[slamtheking]

the real realignment would be separating the major markets from the small markets into different leagues so there'd be some real competition on the field.  the small markets are just basically glorified minor league teams for the major markets at this point since they cannot financially retain their top players and have to trade them around the time when they can start making real money in arbitration or free agency.   That's coming from a Brewer fan in a season when they have the best record in baseball too at the moment.

I get what you're saying, but MLB actually has pretty good parity.  In the AL, the worst team is a very large market (Chicago), and the only other team winning fewer than 45% of their games is the As.  The NL is a bit worse, but even there the Brewers are dominating, as you say.

But, what MLB needs is either a hard cap, or a really punishing NBA-style luxury tax.  Only a handful of teams need it -- the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, etc. -- but it would be good for the league.  Particularly fan interest:  no fan likes seeing all of the major free agents select from maybe five rich clubs.

they've needed cap for decades but neither the players (who have the real power between them and the owners) nor the big market owners will ever go for it.  A luxury tax might slow them down a bit but I don't think they'd go for that either. 

when players are getting ridiculous salaries under the current system, they will never change the status quo.

[Birdman]

Nashville & Portland probably 2 favorites for expansion maybe Charlotte?.but there?s too many teams as of now & baseball needs a salary cap badly cause going be Yankees, Dodgers plus 4-5 teams that will dominate if they don?t..small market teams don?t have a chance unless farm system is great then have trade players cause teams can?t afford them..Pirates will trade the best pitcher in baseball in couple of years

[Moranis]

They probably need something with a cap, but the last 4 years the World Series has featured 7 different franchises with only Houston in 21 and 22 being the same.  In 20, there was an 8th team and in 18 and 19 you added the 9th and 10th team.  So from the last 7 years there were 14 WS slots and 10 different teams represented.  The Dodgers and Astros were the only repeats with 3 each.  The Mets havent been in the WS since 2015 when they lost to the Royals.  The Dodgers last year and in 20 have been the only franchise to win 2 since the Red Sox won in 13 and 18.  So in the last 11 seasons (14-24) there have been 10 different champions and of those 22 slots there have been 15 different franchises in the WS.

Heck even this year the Tigers and Brewers have the 2 best records (and the Blue Jays are 3rd), none of which are any of the franchises above.  Baseball may have a money problem but it certainly isn't indicative of who wins at the top level of the sport.

[wdleehi]

I don't see the point of expansion.   How many teams have issues fielding enough pitchers.



I think what the MLB really needs is a salary floor.   Too may teams just will not spend money.   

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I don't see the point of expansion.   How many teams have issues fielding enough pitchers.



I think what the MLB really needs is a salary floor.   Too may teams just will not spend money.

I agree with you, though I think "the point" of it, as far as MLB is concerned, is nothing more than a cash grab on what would be a couple of new fan bases.

But yeah, as things stand now, the talent pool is already diluted, and there are already numerous teams that have virtually no shot at a WS title, or even contention, and which serve as nothing more than quad-A/feeder teams for the top 4-5 spenders (Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and a couple others).

[Donoghus]

I don't see the point of expansion.   How many teams have issues fielding enough pitchers.



I think what the MLB really needs is a salary floor.   Too may teams just will not spend money.

I agree with you, though I think "the point" of it, as far as MLB is concerned, is nothing more than a cash grab on what would be a couple of new fan bases.

But yeah, as things stand now, the talent pool is already diluted, and there are already numerous teams that have virtually no shot at a WS title, or even contention, and which serve as nothing more than quad-A/feeder teams for the top 4-5 spenders (Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and a couple others).

I think they want to get to 32 teams to make realignment, divisions, & scheduling easier.