Major sports outlets are reporting that the MLB could add two expansion teams in the coming years, which would be a great business decision for the league.
Even though this idea has been going around the baseball community, the MLB has not confirmed this, and no one knows where any expansion would take place or when.
The last time baseball had an expansion was in 1998, when the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks were added to the league. Each team had to pay $130 million to join the league.
ESPN has reported that Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, will want to have a plan that includes a league expansion before his retirement in 2029. According to Bleacher Report and ESPN, the league will look to add at least two teams.
If true, this would be great for baseball. It would bring in more fans, more playoff chances for teams, and most importantly, more money.
If two teams were added, the MLB would have to decide how they would divide each division.
As of now, there are six total divisions between the American League and National League, with each division having five teams. Adding two teams would mean that it would make the divisions uneven, so the MLB would have to decide whether to move eight divisions with four teams each, or four divisions with eight teams each.
The next question would be where to locate the new teams. ESPN has suggested that San Antonio and Austin, both in Texas would be two great candidates for the expansion teams, and this would be true. Although Texas would have four Major League Baseball teams, this would be a great move for the MLB, and would have many positive effects for their business.
