Rob Manfred's realignment talk could shake up Cubs' rivalries forever

Amidst ongoing broadcast discussions with the likes of ESPN, Apple, Netflix and NBC, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred talked about the potential for expansion and league-wide realignment, mentioning one of the factors at play being the considerations of the league's broadcast partners.

Top markets for expansion include Nashville and Charlotte, which would take the total from 30 to 32 teams, allowing MLB to evenly distribute the teams across two leagues or conferences with four divisions of four teams apiece. Again, there's no hard evidence that's how they'd do it, but it's at least possible.

For one generation of Chicago Cubs fans, the National League Central is all they've ever known. Chicago has played in that division since 1994, after playing in the Eastern Division from 1969-1993. If Manfred has his way, change could be coming as the league eyes adding more teams and explores a geographic realignment that could potentially put an end to some of the Cubs' biggest divisional rivalries.

Rob Manfred talks expansion, realignment - what it could mean for the Cubs

No more Cubs-Cardinals as a divisional matchup? It's not out of the realm of possibility. Back in 2023, The Athletic's Jim Bowden hypothesized what a realignment could look like - and he placed the Cubs in a division with the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers. Expansion has long felt inevitable, and Manfred tying that effort to realignment shouldn't surprise anyone.

He mentioned reducing wear-and-tear and unnecessary travel on players as a top priority, but his follow-up point about the preferences of broadcast partners like ESPN is probably the bigger factor here. There's hundreds of millions of dollars at play here just in broadcast rights alone, so you better believe they have a seat at the table when these ideas are kicked around.

A new postseason format would accompany a realignment, bringing further change to October on the heels of the expanded field introduced earlier this decade. That expanded field has done little to push the Cubs into the postseason, with just one playoff appearance (in the shortened 2020 season) in the last five years. Still, it's certainly made the season's final weeks and those early-round matchups more inclusive of more fan bases, which was always the goal.

There's no way the league re-aligns and the Cubs don't end up saddled with the Brewers, though. So if you were thinking that thorn might be removed from the team's side, think again. The only way Chicago is going to get through Milwaukee is by beating them on the field - something that's proven difficult in recent years.

For now, there's nothing to lose our collective minds over. As we've seen lately, change is a constant in Major League Baseball - so getting comfortable with that fact will save us all a lot of heartache and stress in the years to come, especially with such transformative ideas (not to mention a looming work stoppage) drawing nearer with each passing day.