Manfred said Mexico City and Montreal are strong options for potential expansion teams GETTY IMAGES
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred this weekend said the league would "like to get to" 32 teams. Appearing on FS San Diego during the opening game of the Dodgers-Padres series in Monterrey, Mexico, Manfred said having 32 teams "would help us for a variety of reasons: scheduling, playoff format -- it opens up a lot of possibilities." He said both Mexico and Canada "are possibilities for having a team of their own." Manfred: "We’ve got really strong interest in Montreal and getting baseball back there, and I really do believe that Mexico would be a possibility for us as well.” MLB has had 30 teams since the Rays and D-backs started play in '99 (“Dodgers-Padres,” FS San Diego, 5/4). Manfred on Friday also said on SportsNet LA that he would "like to see a 32 team league" (TWITTER.com, 5/4). YAHOO SPORTS' Jack Baer noted several cities have been "thought to make sense for expansion, like Montreal, Charlotte, New Orleans, Las Vegas or Portland." It is also "likely not a coincidence that Manfred chose to discuss this topic during the Mexico Series, as Mexico City has been mentioned as one of Manfred’s favorite possibilities for a new MLB team." Adding two more teams would "make some mathematical sense, namely that an even number of teams in both the American and National League would do away with constant interleague play during the season." However, any actual expansion is still "likely far down the road" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/4). Former Las Vegas Review-Journal writer Norm Clarke tweeted of Manfred, "I strongly believe his preference would be to put one of the teams in Las Vegas" (TWITTER.com, 5/5).
