It nearly sent all the baseball traditionalists into a frenzy when commissioner Rob Manfred floated the idea of realignment during ESPN’s broadcast of the MLB Little League Classic. A potential expansion, if it goes through, will provide the league an opportunity to geographically revamp. The crux of expansion is to cut down the frequent travel of the MLB players.
Manfred has been hinting at expansion for over a decade now. Years ago he expressed having five teams in the divisions is problematic from a scheduling perspective.
Now that it’s right on the horizon, it naturally makes you wonder which cities are in the mix. MLB insider Jeff Passan appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday to address the frontrunner cities directly.
“I think Nashville is almost a shoo-in to get an expansion team in MLB..
You’ve also got Salt Lake City who has really impressed the people at MLB” ~ @JeffPassan #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Y3nZcNO2tb
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 18, 2025
“There would be two expansion teams if owners go forward with it. And look, the owner wants the two-plus-billion-dollar expansion fee that they are going to get,” Passan said. He laid out two potential locations. Out of those two, he named one that is almost confirmed to land an expansion team: “I think Nashville is almost a shoo-in to get an expansion team at this point.”
A potential move to Nashville would offer the league a natural fit in the eastern part of the country. From a popularity standpoint, it has been home to the NHL’s Predators since 1998. Add an MLB team there, and it will only give rise to its profile on the national sports stage.
Further, Passan named another city, which is a front-runner: “You’ve also got Salt Lake City, who has really impressed the people at MLB. They’ve got ownership in place, and they’ve got a stadium plan in place.” If a move to Salt Lake City happens, it would be Utah’s third pro sports team, joining the company of the NBA’s Utah Jazz and the NHL’s Utah Mammoth.
These two cities—Nashville and Salt Lake City—would seamlessly fit into Manfred’s broader push for geographical realignment. There are some other cities too that are making their way into the conversation. Those are San Antonio, Charlotte, and even Montreal, which are being discussed as possibilities.
From eight divisions to lost traditions: how will MLB expansion change it all?
While most are happy with the idea of expansion, not all are fine with the change. Mets broadcaster Howie Rose was one of those who believe that it might not be the best idea. He described it as “the last move before total destruction of the traditions that made baseball great.”
Can you imagine the Yankees and the Mets in the same division and not just the crosstown rivals? Or the Los Angeles teams—the Angels and the Dodgers—as divisional opponents. It does sound unusual for now, but it may turn out to be the reality.
Now, let’s discuss the math! If MLB expands to 32 teams, it would allow the league to form eight divisions with four teams each. And in that case, the long-standing system fans have known all their life may come to an end.
However, before that happens, Manfred has to resolve some issues. One of them is the Oakland Athletics’ move to Las Vegas. The other is for the Tampa Bay Rays securing their ballpark in either Tampa Bay or St. Petersburg. Manfred is prioritizing settling these situations before expansion.
Nevertheless, what do you think about the possible expansion?
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