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Manfred Says MLB Has Discussed In-Season Tournament, Split Season and 32-Team Realignment

He cast the concepts as exploratory, with any move dependent on MLBPA approval.

Overview

  • Manfred said on WFAN that MLB has internally discussed an in-season tournament and a split-season format.
  • He acknowledged such events could require fewer regular-season games and would complicate baseball’s season-long records.
  • He reiterated a goal of expanding to 32 clubs and realigning by geography into eight four-team divisions, targeting resolution before his planned 2029 retirement.
  • He added that multi-team markets such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles would be kept in separate divisions under any new alignment.
  • Coverage underscored that these concepts are exploratory with no formal proposals, and any structural changes would require MLBPA approval through collective bargaining.