Your MLB Realignment

[SoxAce]

Bring the Milwaukee Brewers back to the AL!!!

[kev211]

Floating realignment is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of.

[MattZakrowski]

I really don't like the two bolded parts.

1) Shortening ST doesn't help anyone. It just makes the players have to work harder when they're there, and it gives them less time to work on things while also providing less time for the players on roster bubbles to prove themselves. The players would just have to get ready earlier. Besides, cold weather cities are just going to have more problems if the season starts earlier. What MLB needs to do is find a way to make ST more lucrative for all clubs in baseball. Perhaps a couple prospect showcase games, maybe some All-Star break type festivities, something like that. MLB needs to get more people to ST.

2) Shortening the season is a terrible idea. Baseball is supposed to have 162 games per season and shortening it just makes records harder to achieve. I don't see any reason why there would need to be fewer games.

 

Realignment and stuff is all way, way down the list of priorites anyway, or at least it should be. The biggest problems in MLB right now have to deal with the arbitration process, the comp pick process, the Rule-4 draft, the lack of ability to trade draft picks, the fact that MLB just looks the other way when teams completely ignore slot recommendations, the problems in foreign baseball academies, the Japanese posting process, etc. The international signing system is probably the most scrutinized of all, but it also might be the most fair system of all because at least all teams have an equal shot at a player if they can afford him. But even this system is bad because dealings are shady, undeserving players get big money, etc. and it's also begging to be exploited by American players in the future. I also think there needs to be a draft lottery so that way teams like the Nationals and Pirates don't automatically benefit from tanking all the time. But there are a ton of issues that need to be addressed before realignment is considered.

 

And really, there's no perfectly fair system. A salary cap would be bad for baseball, and you can't make small-market teams put all their money into on-field talent just to chase .500 when what they really need is superstar prospects down on the farm. There will always be teams like the Rays, A's, Twins, etc. that have to find ways to compete with other higher payroll teams (although Target Field is going to help the Twins for a bit). Maybe an idea would be for MLB to redistribute revenue sharing money in a way where, for example, 20-30% of funds from the top-10 teams in the league go toward subsidizing farm system costs for the bottom-10 teams in the league, and maybe this would help an organization turn over a bit quicker and at the same time help out with the idea of parity. But then there's the issue of s***ty management just pissing away money and teams still not ending up profitable. I imagine as long as baseball is around these issues will be around.

 

Agreed, but I think a system where the teams can spend money on overpaying draft picks or signing international prospects and count it towards the cap would work.

[Balta1701]

One other thing, too: the plight of the Rays and so forth should be considered, but really, teams like the Rays shouldn't be forcing MLB to make major changes anyway. The game runs off big teams in major market cities and it's these teams that keep the league afloat. The most important clubs are the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Sox, Angels, Dodgers, Cardinals, Phillies, etc. and fair or not, they just have to come first no matter what. But hopefully the draft issues can be fixed if nothing else.

One thing worth considering is that a lot of cities where there is serious population concentration and often serious money can wind up underserved if there isn't a good team there every now and then. Take a look at the teams we've see come out of the wilderness the last few years. Detroit, Tampa. Detroit isn't exactly running like Goldman Sachs here, yet when that team made their run in 2006, suddenly, that really nice, big ballpark that had been nearly empty for a few years was jam-packed. Tigers shirts and hats started appearing places. Etc. The White Sox in 05, the Rays in 08, same effect. Yeah, the Yankees and Red Sox are a major cash cow and it benefits baseball to have them regularly in the postseason, but it is an equal negative for baseball to have the fan bases in Toronto, Baltimore, KC, Pittsburgh, South Florida, San Diego, Oakland., etc., constantly eroding because they're mired at the bottom. Yes, you can blame management in many of these cases, but regardless of where the blame goes, the unsold seats in those parks every year is revenue that baseball isn't getting.

[Buehrlesque]

I really don't like the two bolded parts.

1) Shortening ST doesn't help anyone. It just makes the players have to work harder when they're there, and it gives them less time to work on things while also providing less time for the players on roster bubbles to prove themselves. The players would just have to get ready earlier. Besides, cold weather cities are just going to have more problems if the season starts earlier. What MLB needs to do is find a way to make ST more lucrative for all clubs in baseball. Perhaps a couple prospect showcase games, maybe some All-Star break type festivities, something like that. MLB needs to get more people to ST.

2) Shortening the season is a terrible idea. Baseball is supposed to have 162 games per season and shortening it just makes records harder to achieve. I don't see any reason why there would need to be fewer games.

 

Realignment and stuff is all way, way down the list of priorites anyway, or at least it should be. The biggest problems in MLB right now have to deal with the arbitration process, the comp pick process, the Rule-4 draft, the lack of ability to trade draft picks, the fact that MLB just looks the other way when teams completely ignore slot recommendations, the problems in foreign baseball academies, the Japanese posting process, etc. The international signing system is probably the most scrutinized of all, but it also might be the most fair system of all because at least all teams have an equal shot at a player if they can afford him. But even this system is bad because dealings are shady, undeserving players get big money, etc. and it's also begging to be exploited by American players in the future. I also think there needs to be a draft lottery so that way teams like the Nationals and Pirates don't automatically benefit from tanking all the time. But there are a ton of issues that need to be addressed before realignment is considered.

 

And really, there's no perfectly fair system. A salary cap would be bad for baseball, and you can't make small-market teams put all their money into on-field talent just to chase .500 when what they really need is superstar prospects down on the farm. There will always be teams like the Rays, A's, Twins, etc. that have to find ways to compete with other higher payroll teams (although Target Field is going to help the Twins for a bit). Maybe an idea would be for MLB to redistribute revenue sharing money in a way where, for example, 20-30% of funds from the top-10 teams in the league go toward subsidizing farm system costs for the bottom-10 teams in the league, and maybe this would help an organization turn over a bit quicker and at the same time help out with the idea of parity. But then there's the issue of s***ty management just pissing away money and teams still not ending up profitable. I imagine as long as baseball is around these issues will be around.

KHP, I see your points, but I would wager that if you asked the players, they'd honestly tell you spring training is too long right now. It was designed, back in the day, to get players into physical shape after winters away from baseball working at different jobs. Now most of the players come into spring training in good shape. And when I say shorten spring training by a week, I mean have it start a week later, not end a week earlier, so it wouldn't effect the start of the regular season. I do like your "Prospect Showcase Game"/ASG-type festivities idea.

 

The regular season- baseball isn't "supposed" to have 162 games, it's an arbitrary number now. The formula worked in 1961, when 18 games times 9 league opponents = 162. But with the expansion, it doesn't matter anymore. A big reason why players use PEDs is just to make it through the season because it's so long and grueling. Amphetamines, especially. Getting through September and October is tough. Again, I bet if you asked the players they wouldn't mind cutting a few games off the end of the season. Additionally, it would make room for more playoff baseball, which I value highly, without the season running into November.

 

As for making records harder to achieve, I couldn't care less. Every era of baseball is different. Roger Maris set the homerun record in 162 games, while Babe Ruth only had 154. (and when Ruth played, a ball that bounced over the fence was considered a homerun- its now a GR double.) The most wins in a season is 116- set by the 1906 Cubs in only 152 games. It's fun to compare eras, but you will never have a perfect match due to the different rules, PEDs, league talent levels, etc. I have no problem saying Babe Ruth is the single season homerun king in the pre-1960 era, Roger Maris is the kind of the 162-game era, and Barry Bonds is the king among steroid users. (Bonds' accomplishment is cheaper historically, obviously, but still significant compared to other steroid users of his era.)

 

I fully admit the owners would fight all that shortening, because it would affect their bottom line. That's why I'd propose a revenue-dictated cut back in players salaries. That still might not work, but wouldn't it be nice to have a MLB competitive decision be dictated by COMPETITIVE BASEBALL for once and not purely money?

 

 

-By the way, I agree with a bunch of your other points: a salary cap is a terrible idea, and the many draft/international players issues are a top priority.

[Texsox]

Instead of just listing the new division, I'd be interested in what everyone was trying to accomplish?

 

reduced travel?

competition?

rivals?

 

Seems to me any plan would have as desired result of more revenue and profits.

 

 

[southsider2k5]

Many pitchers honestly feel that spring training isn't long enough to get their arms stretched out.

[Buehrlesque]

Many pitchers honestly feel that spring training isn't long enough to get their arms stretched out.

True. And then some, like Mark Buehrle, do everything they can to avoid throwing a lot of innings in the spring to preserve their arm for the season.

[HuskyCaucasian]

I just had a great idea:

a radical form of ‘floating’ realignment in which teams would not be fixed to a division, but free to change divisions from year-to-year based on geography, payroll and their plans to contend or not.

 

Oh wait, Bud Selig already took that idea:

oh, and lets not forget how this would effect the draft. Teams could effectively "tank" a season to land a great prospect all in the name of "rebuilding"

[MattZakrowski]

oh, and lets not forget how this would effect the draft. Teams could effectively "tank" a season to land a great prospect all in the name of "rebuilding"

 

They can do that now.

[GreatScott82]

I wouldn't realign anything. I would tweak the AL West & NL Central though.

 

Why does the NL Central have 6 teams, while the AL West only has 4?

 

Here is what i would do:

 

NL Central: Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers, Pirates, Reds

NL West: Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Rockies, Padres, Giants

NL East: Braves, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Nationals

 

AL Central: White Sox, Tigers, Royals, Indians, Twins

AL West: ASTROS, Rangers, A's, Angels, Mariners

AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Orioles, Blue Jays

 

New Playoff format:

1. Shorten Spring Training.

2. Begin the season March 15th

3. Regular season would end September 20th.

4. Wild Card would play 2nd Wild Card team in a 3 game series to move into the divisional round. This means 5 teams in each league would make the playoffs. Here would be the setup:

 

AL Central, AL West, & AL East Champions would make the playoffs. The 2 other teams would have best records of the 'non' division winners in each league.

 

Wildcard round: September 22-25th. Best of 3 series while the other teams get a rest. Winner of series would play the AL Division champion with the best record.

 

In summary: The Astros move to the AL West. EVERY division would have 5 teams, while 10 teams in the MLB would make the playoffs. The season would begin earlier, Spring training would be shorter, and the World Series would ended in October, not November!

 

Thoughts?

[Dick Allen]

If you are rebuilding, wouldn't you WANT to be in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox if the schedule is unbalanced, so you have more attractive home dates? You're not going to win anyway, so you might as well bring in the big draws.

 

I'm all for realignment. I think its ridiculous you have a division with 6 teams and one with 4. At the very least, since some teams are competing with each other for a wild card spot, the unbalanced schedule isn't exactly fair, get rid of that.

 

I wouldn't mind if they blew everything up and made 6 divisions with 5 teams and put the Sox in the same division as the Cubs, and Cardinals and Brewers. The rivalries would be that much more intense.

[chisoxfan09]

Would a division with both the Sox and the Flubs even work?

[Buehrlesque]

I wouldn't realign anything. I would tweak the AL West & NL Central though.

 

Why does the NL Central have 6 teams, while the AL West only has 4?

 

Here is what i would do:

 

NL Central: Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers, Pirates, Reds

NL West: Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Rockies, Padres, Giants

NL East: Braves, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Nationals

 

AL Central: White Sox, Tigers, Royals, Indians, Twins

AL West: ASTROS, Rangers, A's, Angels, Mariners

AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Orioles, Blue Jays

 

New Playoff format:

1. Shorten Spring Training.

2. Begin the season March 15th

3. Regular season would end September 20th.

4. Wild Card would play 2nd Wild Card team in a 3 game series to move into the divisional round. This means 5 teams in each league would make the playoffs. Here would be the setup:

 

AL Central, AL West, & AL East Champions would make the playoffs. The 2 other teams would have best records of the 'non' division winners in each league.

 

Wildcard round: September 22-25th. Best of 3 series while the other teams get a rest. Winner of series would play the AL Division champion with the best record.

 

In summary: The Astros move to the AL West. EVERY division would have 5 teams, while 10 teams in the MLB would make the playoffs. The season would begin earlier, Spring training would be shorter, and the World Series would ended in October, not November!

 

Thoughts?

I like it! Mainly because it's similar to my plan, with the Wildcard round and all. Moving the Astros to the AL west would balance the divisions, but then there would be an odd number of teams in each league, meaning you would either a.) be forced to have an interleague game somewhere in MLB every day or b.) one team from each league would be off every day. Are you OK with interleague being year-round?

 

[knightni]

Just move Milwaukee back to the AL. Put KC in the AL West.

 

That would cause for an unbalanced schedule because of an odd number of teams in each league and require mandatory daily interleague play.

 

That's not going to happen in the near future.

 

Expansion is more likely.

[Quin]

Honestly, what would stop the Yankees and Red Sox having handshake agreements with teams like Cleveland, Kansas City, Toronto, and Baltimore to get the easiest schedule possible for themselves and inflate their records, and getting high picks for the other teams?

[bigruss]

Honestly, what would stop the Yankees and Red Sox having handshake agreements with teams like Cleveland, Kansas City, Toronto, and Baltimore to get the easiest schedule possible for themselves and inflate their records, and getting high picks for the other teams?

Because MLB would dictate who gets placed where.

 

If they do that floating division thing, I could see some teams get up to 120 wins then. That would be insane.

[nickofypres]

NYY BOS TOR TB BAL

SOX CLE DET KC MIN

TEX OAK ANA SEA COL

 

NYM PHI ATL WSH FLA

CHI CIN PIT MIL STL

HOU PHX LAD SF SD

 

I'd just move the Rockies to the AL West, and Houston to the NL West

[GreatScott82]

I like it! Mainly because it's similar to my plan, with the Wildcard round and all. Moving the Astros to the AL west would balance the divisions, but then there would be an odd number of teams in each league, meaning you would either a.) be forced to have an interleague game somewhere in MLB every day or b.) one team from each league would be off every day. Are you OK with interleague being year-round?

Im okay with it. The interleague schedule is bunched up together around June, instead of having that, the league can spread it out throughout the season, there would be at least one interleague series going. Each team has 18 interleague games- so that would be very easy to spread throughout the season.

 

If the league isn't okay with that, then expand. Why doesn't Omaha have an MLB team?- the entire state of Nebraska is baseball crazy. How about Portland or Las Vegas?

 

There are pleanty of options. .

[Quin]

Im okay with it. The interleague schedule is bunched up together around June, instead of having that, the league can spread it out throughout the season, there would be at least one interleague series going. Each team has 18 interleague games- so that would be very easy to spread throughout the season.

 

If the league isn't okay with that, then expand. Why doesn't Omaha have an MLB team?- the entire state of Nebraska is baseball crazy. How about Portland or Las Vegas?

 

There are pleanty of options. .

 

"Diluting the talent pool" is the reason I often hear against expansion.

 

I quite frankly, think thats crap. The talent pool went from the United States mainly to the whole freaking world.

[knightni]

It's been 12 years since the last expansion.

 

It was 15 between the Blue Jays/Mariners and Marlins/Rockies. Only 6 between Fla/Rox and Rays/DBacks.

 

The "diluting" comments are hogwash.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

"Diluting the talent pool" is the reason I often hear against expansion.

 

I quite frankly, think thats crap. The talent pool went from the United States mainly to the whole freaking world.

You probably could have made an entire team out of free agents still available in February. There is enough talent to go around.

[knightni]

You probably could have made an entire team out of free agents still available in February. There is enough talent to go around.

That was my point earlier.

 

There are guys taking minor league contracts who could easily still play or maybe start on an expansion team.

 

Of course, the team would be bad like the Nationals (maybe worse), but it could be done.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

That was my point earlier.

 

There are guys taking minor league contracts who could easily still play or maybe start on an expansion team.

 

Of course, the team would be bad like the Nationals (maybe worse), but it could be done.

It could be pretty surprising when you factor in the expansion draft and the fact that the new club gets the #1 pick in the Rule-5. I wouldn't be surprised if a team could be good enough right out of the gate to beat some of the Royals-type teams out there. In this climate I imagine an expansion team could come up with a pretty decent offense, and maybe not a terrible defense either, but the pitching would be the killer. One positive though might be that teams like the Reds would be able to unload Bronson Arroyos and Aaron Harangs at half-salary because the new team needs veterans, and if that were the case it would give a couple teams out there some more flexibility.

[Quin]

And since the new teams would be in the AL, they could give some aging sluggers one last home.