In order to create two leagues of 15 teams each, Major League Baseball is seriously considering realignment, according to multiple reports.
The MLB is currently the only Big Four sport that does not have the same number of teams in each of its leagues. The National League has 16 teams while the American League has 14. The NFL, NBA and NHL all have equal team distribution in their respective conferences.
The topic of simple realignment has been discussed in labor talks between the MLB and the Player's Association, according to four sources.
One executive said the league is considering eliminating divisions within each league, and instead have the top five squads from each 15-team league compete in the postseason.
A source close to the talks said the Player's Association is open to the idea of realignment, but talks are still in the preliminary stage.
"I'd still say the odds of it happening are less than 50-50," one source said.
Any realignment would have an impact on interleague play and could seriously affect scheduling. With an odd number of teams in each league, it is practically unavoidable that interleague games would be present on the schedule from April through September.
Another issue is which team from the NL gets moved to the AL. Two executives believe the Houston Astros are a likely choice because a move would even the NL Central and AL West divisions, along with creating a natural rivalry between the Astros and the Texas Rangers.
"There are still a lot of details that would have to be discussed," according to one source.
