Report: MLB considering 3-division realignment, playing in home ballparks
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A new radical realignment of Major League Baseball is being discussed for what would be an abbreviated 2020 season.
The newest proposal would see the 30 clubs realigned into three 10-team divisions based on geography, three executives with knowledge of the discussions told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The idea is gaining support from owners, Nightengale reports.
Under this realignment, teams would likely play regular-season games at their home fields with no fans in attendance, according to Nightengale. Because the divisions would be geographical, teams would primarily play against natural rivals and within their division, significantly reducing travel.
One possible realignment structure featuring 10-team divisions was outlined to Nightengale as follows:
| East | Central | West |
|---|---|---|
| Yankees | Cubs | Dodgers |
| Mets | White Sox | Angels |
| Red Sox | Brewers | Giants |
| Nationals | Cardinals | Athletics |
| Orioles | Royals | Padres |
| Phillies | Reds | Diamondbacks |
| Pirates | Indians | Rockies |
| Rays | Twins | Rangers |
| Blue Jays | Braves | Astros |
| Marlins | Tigers | Mariners |
The postseason would feature an expanded playoff field, though it's unclear how that would be shaped.
The geographical realignment is only the latest proposal being floated to get the 2020 season off the ground. Other possibilities reportedly include isolating all 30 teams in Arizona, a tri-state format using stadiums in Arizona, Texas, and Florida, or realigning into 15-team leagues based on spring-training locations.
Some government officials are open to teams playing in their home cities rather than isolating in one or more central locations. This week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he could see the Yankees and Mets returning to New York at some point in the summer, albeit without fans in attendance.
Optimism about playing the season in some form is said to be growing around baseball. The general target for beginning a campaign of approximately 80-100 games seems to be mid-June or as late as July 4.
Before beginning any season, players would need to return to their team's facilities in either Florida or Arizona to resume spring training. Once a plan for the season is approved, players would get one week to report to camp, according to Nightengale, and the training period could last about three weeks.