1 Key Factor Can Force MLB Owners to Block Rob Manfred’s Controversial Realignment Plan: Report

Back in 2023, ex-Reds GM Jim Bowden sketched out a bold idea. Scrap the traditional American and National League setup and instead split MLB into Eastern and Western Conferences. Now, that vision might be inching closer to reality. On Sunday night, commissioner Rob Manfred fueled expansion chatter, saying that adding two more teams would open the door for a full geographic realignment.

But here’s the twist. While Bowden has long backed the concept, he has now admitted there’s one major obstacle that could trip up Manfred’s plan.

“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically re-align. I think it would 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…” Manfred said.

So, as per Manfred, MLB expansion could eventually bring a shake-up to the divisions, with teams grouped more by geography. Travel costs for the team will be lowered, and higher viewership could be ensured. But that’s something Bowden thinks the team owners would not prefer over “winning.”

“I think baseball people would prefer to be in a division where they have the best chance of winning,” Bowden said on Foul Territory.

So, per Bowden, the team owners would rather be slotted into an easier division than a tougher one, even if the tougher division brings bigger TV ratings, higher revenue, or lower travel costs.

Bowden further pointed to a classic example from the time when John Hart was GM of the Cleveland Indians: “The best decision John Hart made in his career as an executive was the decision to push for the Indians to be in the Central and not the East. They wanted to be in the East. Cleveland fought hard to go to the Central because they knew they had a better chance of winning.”

So, choosing the Central gave the Indians a better shot at success, and it turned out to be a franchise-defining decision. Notably, Cleveland had no AL titles between 1969 and 1993 when they were in the East Division. However, since they entered the Central Division in 1994, the team has won a total of 3 AL Pennants and 12 AL Central Division titles.

But while the MLB owners might prefer winning over anything, for Manfred, it’s the viewership that matters.

Manfred is eyeing a revolutionized MLB TV rights

The scramble for the MLB TV rights really picked up after ESPN walked away from its seven-year, $500 million-a-year deal. Now, MLB is weighing the idea of adding two expansion teams. Why?

Manfred argues that going to 32 clubs would ease travel for players and allow for more region-based playoff matchups. Something broadcasters love since it means better time slots and higher ratings.

But here’s the catch. MLB’s biggest roadblocks to a monster TV deal are its heavy reliance on regional rights and the grind of a 162-game season. Here, as per ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle, one idea that keeps popping up is trimming the season to 154 games. But nothing concrete has come to the fore yet. While Manfred talked about the expansion and realignment, he didn’t share any timeline.

It’s only a possibility till now, which, however, if implemented, could change MLB forever.