Overview

• On ESPN’s Little League Classic broadcast, Rob Manfred linked adding two teams to a shift toward East/West alignment designed to cut travel and better serve TV windows.
• He said expansion would make the postseason more appealing to broadcasters such as ESPN, pointing to late slots featuring two West Coast clubs instead of cross‑country pairings.
• Front Office Sports reports MLB’s short‑term national media‑rights talks for 2026–28 are accelerating with ESPN, Apple and NBC, with Sunday Night Baseball possibly split across networks.
• Coverage notes expansion remains tied to stabilizing the A’s and Rays situations, with a Las Vegas ballpark for the A’s under construction, the Rays’ venue unresolved, and markets such as Nashville and Salt Lake City frequently cited.
• Any realignment would require collective bargaining with the MLBPA, while early reaction from fans and commentators focuses on concerns over ending AL/NL traditions and long‑standing rivalries.