On Thursday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred was in Chicago, and during the Red Sox-White Sox game at U.S. Cellular Field, he visited the home booth for an interview with White Sox broadcasters Jason Benetti and Steve Stone. During that interview, Manfred addressed ongoing plans for expansion ...
In summary: Manfred first wants to get the next collective bargaining agreement negotiated and locked in, and he wants to settle stadium situations in Oakland and Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg. After those things happen, then a close look at expansion seems likely to happen. As well, Manfred name-checks Mexico City and Montreal as his personal favorite potential expansion targets.
This generally dovetails with what Manfred previously said on the matter, which was that expansion, while not an immediate priority, was indeed important to baseball's future. That the commissioner isn't shying away from publicly commenting on expansion suggests that it's very much on the radar.
As for the specifics of Mexico City and Montreal, the latter of course has a rich baseball history at both the major- and minor-league levels. Insofar as Mexico City is concerned, Manfred has for much of his tenure coveted a greater footprint in Mexico.
MLB hasn't expanded since the Diamondbacks and Rays began play in 1998, and going from 30 to 32 teams would certainly make sense in terms of balance and ease of scheduling. Consider it to be a matter of time.
