Overview
- On WFAN, commissioner Rob Manfred said he will retire at the end of his current term in 2029.
- He said 32 teams would be “good,” sketching eight geographically based divisions that could shift MLB to East and West leagues rather than the traditional AL/NL.
- Manfred added that two-team markets — Yankees/Mets, Cubs/White Sox, Dodgers/Angels — would be kept in separate divisions under any realignment.
- He framed geographic grouping as a way to reduce travel and aid player health while creating cleaner postseason time windows across time zones.
- Manfred said MLB has discussed split seasons and an in-season tournament, acknowledged this could mean fewer regular-season games and would need MLBPA approval, and he downplayed predictions of a 2026 work stoppage while reiterating a goal of playing 162 games.