Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has been open about many of the changes he thinks the league should make in the coming years, and one of could change significantly change the landscape of the sport.
There have been 30 MLB teams since the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks were added in 1998. In a wide-ranging interview with ESPN’s Don Van Natta that was published this week, Manfred said he is in favor of further expansion.
Manfred told Van Natta that he “would love to get to 32 teams.” The commissioner hinted that there are a number of wealthy individuals and groups who are interested in backing a potential new team.
There are several cities that have been mentioned for possible expansion teams. Montreal, which was the home of the Expos from 1969 to 2004 before they became the Washington Nationals, is one of them. Others include Charlotte, Nashville, Las Vegas and Portland.
Manfred said in the same ESPN interview that one big change is definitely coming for MLB. There will be more. Expansion seems inevitable at some point.
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