House That Hank Built
Fansided

Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: what could be the benefits of expansion and realignment?

By Alan Carpenter

CASPER, WY - AUGUST 20: A visitor puts a pin on map to show where she is visiting from during the Wyoming Eclipse Festival on August 20, 2017 in Casper, Wyoming. Thouands of people have descended on Casper, Wyoming to see the solar eclipse in the path of totality as it passes over the state on August 21. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
CASPER, WY - AUGUST 20: A visitor puts a pin on map to show where she is visiting from during the Wyoming Eclipse Festival on August 20, 2017 in Casper, Wyoming. Thouands of people have descended on Casper, Wyoming to see the solar eclipse in the path of totality as it passes over the state on August 21. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 2
Next

MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred has raised the ‘E-Word’… Expansion.  If he follows through, it could change baseball forever.

If I were an owner of the Atlanta Braves today and Manfred came forward with a league expansion plan, I might be inclined to vote against him.  But as this is a complicated topic, things could change in a few years.

Back during the All-Star break, Manfred was asked about expansion, and he mentioned 3 cities at the time (Charlotte, Montreal, and perhaps Mexico City).  In September, he added Portland, Oregon to that list.  He also suggested that ‘a new team isn’t in the immediate future‘, but in baseball terms, even 10 years from now would be a ‘rapid pace’.

One thing mentioned at the time was a resolution to stadium issues in St. Petersburg (Tampa Bay) and Oakland.  Oakland has a site selected, but still might not have a stadium until 2023.

Tampa… has the city council at least agreeing to allow the Rays to look for sites in the Tampa-St. Pete environs, and there’s a proposal on the table – one that has neither the endorsement nor the involvement of the team.  Not holding my breath on that one yet.

Negotiating Power

But for the sake of this argument, let’s wildly and recklessly assume that it’s now 2021.  The Players Association and MLB are now negotiating a new Collective bargaining Agreement.

The Players’ Association wants more in terms of travel relief and days off for its members.  The MLB wants new revenue streams.

So both sides agree on league expansion as a means to get everything they want.

For the sake of this exercise, let’s call the target date for that as 2025.  The other part will be the cities in which expansion – two teams – would occur:

  • Montreal
  • Portland
  • Additionally, the Tampa Bay Rays could announce plans by 2025 to move their team to either Orlando or Charlotte in 2027 (when their draconian lease runs out).

Vancouver, BC would be an alternative to Portland, but for sure:  having another club out West would have to be a priority.

As for the Rays, it is doubtful that ownership would approve another stadium in that area without some positive proof that all issues with revenue and attendance were resolved.  Failing that – and I can’t see it happening – I believe they bolt in 2027… probably to North Carolina.

But expansion of the league would only be the beginning – it could also be the death knell of the American and National leagues as we know them today.

And yes – that would mean the end of the debate:  we would end up with a permanent designated hitter position forever… like it or not.

New Formats

Baseball America discussed this topic a couple of days ago, and their treatment of the subject also raised the “realignment” spectre… a means of also making travel much more convenient for the teams.

Among their discussion was:

  • 4 divisions of 8 teams apiece, with no regard for prior AL/NL boundaries
  • A 156-game schedule, unbalanced, with 3 games every year against every team not in your own division; 12 games vs. each division rival.
  • An off day every week, which would also translate into all match-ups being a 3-game series… always.
  • Playoffs:
    • The 4 division winners are in the playoffs
    • The ‘next 8’ best teams are the Wild Cards and fight among themselves to oppose the divisional winners in a division series.
    • Then there’s a Championship round (not sure what you call this if there’s no longer a pennant to be had) and the World Series round.
    • So 12 teams of the 32 make the playoffs and keep the interest and revenue going deeper into the season.
Home/Braves News