Major League Baseball

Break up the (AL) East

Published Feb. 25, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

Ken Rosenthal

MODEST REALIGNMENT

In this scenario, the Red Sox and Tigers switch divisions, and the Astros move to the AL West. Each league would include 15 teams rather than the current 16 and 14, requiring an inter-league series to be played at all times.

AL East	AL Central	AL West	NL East	NL Central	NL West
Yankees	Red Sox	Angels	Braves	Cubs	Dodgers
Tigers	White Sox	Rangers	Phillies	Cardinals	Giants
Rays	Twins	Mariners	Mets	Brewers	Diamondbacks
Orioles	Indians	Athletics	Marlins	Reds	Rockies
Blue Jays	Royals	Astros	Nationals	Pirates	Padres
Advantages: • The Yankees and Red Sox are broken up, creating better opportunities to reach the postseason for other teams in the East: the Rays, Orioles and Blue Jays. • The Yankees and Red Sox would play each other fewer times under an unbalanced schedule, increasing the odds that each would reach the postseason — and satisfying MLB’s television partners, including FOX. • The Astros would play in the same division as the Rangers, their in-state rivals. Disadvantages • The Tigers would be sacrificial lambs for competitive balance, moving from a division without an economic super power to one that includes the Yankees. • Fans of the Yankees and Red Sox would lament the change in their historic rivalry.

RADICAL REALIGNMENT

The current leagues and divisions are completely torn up, with geographic rivalries receiving a greater emphasis. Each league would include 15 teams.

AL Atlantic	AL Great Lakes	AL Pacific	NL East	NL Midwest	NL Southwest
Mets	Twins	Dodgers	Red Sox	Cubs	Diamondbacks
Yankees	Pirates	Angels	Phillies	Cardinals	Rockies
Blue Jays	Indians	Athletics	Braves	White Sox	Rangers
Orioles	Tigers	Giants	Marlins	Brewers	Astros
Nationals	Reds	Mariners	Rays	Royals	Padres
Advantages: • The best of the inter-league series (the regional and intra-city rivalries) would become a staple of the regular season. • The idea of playing an inter-league series at all times would be less offensive; the old league boundaries would be gone. • The Red Sox and Yankees would be split, with each inheriting a new high-revenue division rival: the Phillies would play in the Red Sox's division, the Mets in the Yankees'. Disadvantages • The historic integrity of the leagues would be lost. •Combining teams from both leagues would require MLB to either use the designated hitter for all 30 clubs or abandon it completely. • The All-Star Game would carry less meaning and likely would need to be restructured. • The two Florida teams would remain at a competitive disadvantage, playing in the same division as the Red Sox and Phillies.

REVENUE REALIGNMENT

Teams are grouped in greater accordance to their revenues and geographic considerations.

AL Money	AL Budget	AL Southeast	NL Great Lakes	NL West	NL Southwest
Yankees	Blue Jays	Braves	Cubs	Dodgers	Diamondbacks
Mets	Pirates	Nationals	White Sox	Angels	Rockies
Red Sox	Royals	Orioles	Cardinals	Mariners	Rangers
Phillies	Reds	Marlins	Tigers	Giants	Astros
New Jersey A's	Indians	Rays	Twins		Padres
			Brewers
Advantages: • Most low-revenue teams would stand a greater chance of reaching the postseason. • The big-money teams in the northeast would fight it out with one another. • New York would gain a third team, cutting into the economic might of the Yankees and Mets. Disadvantages • The historic integrity of the leagues would be lost. • Several low-revenue teams still would play in the same division as high-revenue clubs. • The postseason would be less appealing with poor teams facing the rich. • Combining teams from both leagues would require MLB to either use the designated hitter for all 30 clubs or abandon it completely.

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