There is no timetable.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred once again has teased potential fanbases in places like Nashville, Salt Lake City, Portland, Oregon, Austin, Texas, Montréal, Raleigh, North Carolina and Oakland that MLB could be expanding. When that might happen is anybody’s guess. MLB needs to resolve stadium issues in Las Vegas and the Tampa Bay market and the present Chicago White Sox franchise ownership is looking for a new venue in the city. But Manfred is talking about how expansion might change the industry. Manfred said in February the expansion was not imminent and probably would not happen during the remainder of his term. Manfred’s deal with MLB owners is done in 2029.
Manfred does imagine that Major League Baseball’s structure could change with an expansion by two teams giving MLB 32 franchises. “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 and that 10 o’clock time slot where we sometimes get Boston-Anaheim, would be two West Coast teams and that 10 o’clock slot that’s a problem for us sometimes becomes a real opportunity for our West Coast audience.” Before getting to the expansion issue, MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association need to complete a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Right now the two sides are sparring over the money. It seems as if the owners want cost certainty and the players like a free market. The present Collective Bargaining Agreement ends after the 2026 season. The thought of MLB getting up to 32 teams is not new. More than 35 years ago, the plan was 32 teams.
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