Exclusive: MLB Analyst Chris Dimino thinks expansion could be delayed by Rob Manfred
MLB analyst and Atlanta sports radio host Chris Dimino believes expansion will come eventually, but he isn't sure it will come anytime soon.
He places the primary blame for its delay on the Commissioner of Baseball, Rob Manfred, and his inaction in the role. No major changes happen in the league without his emphatic support, which is needed for expansion.
Manfred has been much maligned during his tenure for the stagnation of the game and being overtaken by competing leagues in popularity. While some of these issues may have been inevitable, he likely could have been more proactive in helping grow the game.
He has been talking about expanding MLB to 32 teams for over 5 years, as this clip from 2018 shows.
"The youth is driving our game right now."
@MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred talks expansion, the youth movement in baseball and more on #MLBTonight. https://t.co/72xwkKe91Y
"The youth is driving our game right now" - MLB Network
Chris Dimino sat down for an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda and shared some thoughts on the MLB potentially expanding to 32 teams.
He said:
"They're going to expand. It's going to happen. Nashville, Montreal, some people keep telling me Charlotte, I don't know if I believe it. But certainly Las Vegas is going to be in whether it's the A's going to Vegas, whether it's Tampa going to Nashville, it's too much money to not expand to 32 and 16 in each league"
He continued:
"So if baseball is going to go all in, maybe there's a way to actually Garner new interests and build up some new rivalries. And I, again, I'm not telling you they're going to do it. Because Rob Manfred doesn't do anything. He's missing in action more than he's actually present"
He also added that Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies is a vocal proponent of bringing an MLB team to Las Vegas:
"Bryce Harper just said on Sunday. He's from Vegas. He wants Vegas to get an expansion team. He believes like the Golden Knights and hockey, That's the best way to birth a team. It's not somebody else's stuff. It's our stuff. And I'll tell you why Vegas makes sense. It doesn't matter who you root for, especially with the scheduling. I'm doing a three-day road trip to see my team play in Vegas"
.@bryceharper3 thinks his hometown of Las Vegas could support an #MLB team but through an expansion, not relocation.
Is he right? 🤷
https://t.co/sV8wbeuSlt
"Bryce Harper thinks his hometown of Las Vegas could support an MLB team" - Audacy Sports
As baseball becomes an increasingly regional sport, an expansion to 32 teams would make sense.
What changes could come with a 32-team MLB?
While adding one team to each league sounds simple, it would also create an imbalance of divisions. It might have to mean adding another division to the American and National League, with four teams per division. The downside is that this could lead to the break-up of some great rivalries such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
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