Latest MLB trial balloon would have Royals playing in a 10-team division
Earlier this month, a plan surfaced that would have Major League Baseball teams playing the season in Arizona. Another called for games at spring-training sites in Arizona and Florida.
Neither idea was warmly received, which would explain why another proposition has been floated as the league tries to determine the best way to start a season postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, citing three executives, reported Major League Baseball is considering an idea in which teams would play “at least 100 regular-season games” in a season that would start no later than July 2.
The plan would have teams play in their home stadiums, but there would be no leagues. Instead, there would be three 10-team divisions with no games being played out of the divisions.
“The divisions would keep many of the natural rivals together, while playing one another before an expanded playoff format,” Nightengale wrote.
Under this proposal, the Royals would be in the same division as the Cardinals, Brewers, White Sox, Cubs, Braves, Tigers, Twins, Indians and Reds.
That would mean visits to Kauffman Stadium from former Royals stars Mike Moustakas (Reds) and Lorenzo Cain (Brewers).
There was no word on how the expanded playoffs would look, but it would be different than what fans are used to seeing.
“This is going to be a season like we’ve never seen,” an executive told Nightengale. “But that’s fine. It’s at least a season.’’
You can read more about the proposal here.
