Rob Manfred's proposed MLB realignment could make White Sox-Cubs rivalry even better

It seems like rumors about league expansion have been swirling around Major League Baseball forever.

It’s been nearly 30 years since MLB’s expansion from 28 to 30 teams back in 1998, and with the NFL and NHL now at 32 teams and a few promising markets, it seems like it’s about time for baseball to follow suit.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has always spoken positively about the idea of expansion, and during Sunday Night Baseball and the MLB Little League Classic this past weekend, he once again reinforced the idea of MLB adding more teams to the league.

MLB could go to geographical realignment

This time, Manfred mentioned the idea of potentially realigning the divisions based on geography to go along with it. 

“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign” Manfred said during the broadcast. “I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN, because you’d be playing up ‘out of the East, out of the West.’”

If Manfred’s plan is executed and MLB expands to 32 teams in the next few years, there could be drastic changes coming to MLB’s divisions and postseason format.

32 teams would likely mean the number of divisions will increase and the size of divisions will decrease. Instead of six divisions of five teams, it would likely be eight divisions of four teams. Manfred suggested a division more strictly based on geography could be likely in an effort to reduce travel throughout the season.

While Manfred didn’t mention this specifically, I think it’s even possible that the American and National League no longer exist and baseball instead elects to go with an Eastern and Western Conference format similar to the NBA and NHL.

Needless to say, the Chicago White Sox division would look a lot different, and the crosstown Cubs might become a new division rival.

Cubs and White Sox in the same division?

While we aren’t 100 percent sure where the lines would be drawn geographically, Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently took a stab at realigning the divisions.

Bowden included expansion teams in Nashville and Charlotte, two of the more prominent contenders to land a franchise.

In this scenario by Bowden, the White Sox would remain division rivals with the Minnesota Twins, but would no longer share a division with Detroit, Kansas City, or Cleveland. Instead, the Cubs and Brewers would join the Sox and Twins in what Bowden called the “Midwest” division. 

I think this mix would have some pros and cons for the White Sox. For starters, fan interest would be at an all-time high in the city of Chicago. The White Sox and Cubs currently play each other six times a year, and the rivalry can get heated even though they’re in completely separate leagues.

The city of Chicago would go crazy if the Sox and Cubs played each other more often, in more meaningful ballgames.

Milwaukee is just 90 miles north of Chicago, and many Brewers fans live in the Chicago area, so three of the four teams in the division would be within a very reasonable drive of each other. 

Competition wise, it might be tough for the White Sox. Minnesota has always been tough on the Sox, and Milwaukee may not spend with the big boys, but they’re one of the best teams in baseball at player development. The Cubs have a talented roster and one of the best farm systems in baseball, so it’s reasonable to expect that they’ll be competitive in the near future as well.

To be fair, the White Sox have been miserable against AL Central opponents in recent years, so it’s hard to imagine things getting any worse. Not having to face the Tigers, Royals, and Guardians 13 times every year wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. 

It’s hard to tell at this point whether a radical change to the division structure would be a positive or negative change for the White Sox, but expansion seems to be coming soon, and with it will likely come realignment. My recommendation is to enjoy the last few years of the AL Central as we know it, because change is likely on the way, and it just might put a spark back in one of the best rivalries in all of baseball.