MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says Mexico "would be a possibility" if the league expands to 32 teams.GETTY IMAGES
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred over the weekend said that the league would "like to get to" 32 teams. Appearing on FS San Diego during the opening game of the L.A. Dodgers-San Diego Padres series in Monterrey, Mexico, Manfred said that having 32 teams "would help us for a variety of reasons: scheduling, playoff format -- it opens up a lot of possibilities." He said that 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 Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks started play in '99 (“Dodgers-Padres,” FS San Diego, 5/4). YAHOO SPORTS' Jack Baer reported 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” (YAHOO SPORTS, 5/4).
