{"id":429,"date":"2016-03-01T18:40:13","date_gmt":"2016-03-01T18:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.capitalcitytickets.com\/blog\/?p=429"},"modified":"2016-03-01T18:40:13","modified_gmt":"2016-03-01T18:40:13","slug":"mlb-expansions-what-can-we-expect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.capitalcitytickets.com\/blog\/mlb-expansions-what-can-we-expect\/","title":{"rendered":"MLB Expansions: What can we expect?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recent buzz indicates that we might see MLB expand in the coming years\u2014but what would that mean for the league, and what needs to happen to get to that point? Where might we expect new franchises to pop up, and how many should we expect?<\/p>\n

MLB Expansions: First Steps<\/h2>\n

What might cue the public that an expansion is on the near horizon? In an article by Ryan Davis on Knuckleball<\/a>, he mentions the CBA negotiations. CBA, or Collective Bargaining Agreement, negotiations are set to take place to develop a new agreement that might address some of the issues MLB faces off the field.<\/p>\n

Another consideration is that the MLB appears to be focused first on the already existing franchises updating or building new ballparks. Would construction of new stadiums signal that an expansion is right around the corner? Perhaps not definitively, but they might be a steppingstone on the way to adding new franchises.<\/p>\n

Then there are the rest of the franchises to consider. What might they have to say on the matter? According to an article by JP Morosi on Fox Sports<\/a>, the position of the thirty franchises already comprising MLB might present an obstacle if revenue sharing becomes a concern. How might their revenue be affected by letting two more franchises into the pool of recipients?<\/p>\n

\"MLBMLB Expansions: Expectations<\/h2>\n

Expansion of Major League Baseball might have to involve some shuffling of the divisions that comprise it, in order to ensure that each division contains an equal number of teams. For example, if MLB expands to include 32 franchises, would they have to add a division to each league and shuffle to have four teams per division? According to an article on MLB Daily Dish<\/a> by Matt Goldman, several factors could influence such a realignment, including present rivalries and geography.<\/p>\n

Goldman\u2019s article also suggests that the following cities might be up for consideration in a possible expansion:<\/p>\n