Fans of the Los Angeles Angels can finally breathe a sigh of relief following Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred's recent comments regarding the potential realignment of MLB divisions. Initially, Manfred stirred the pot by suggesting a shift towards a 32-team league that would involve a reconfiguration of existing divisions. However, his latest statements have provided some comforting news for Angels supporters.
Manfred expressed a desire to maintain separation among cities that host two teams, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. This means that the Angels would not find themselves pitted against the Los Angeles Dodgers within the same division—a fact that is likely to be welcomed by Angels fans, especially considering the significant disparity in performance between the two teams.
To put this into perspective, the Angels have not reached the playoffs since 2014, while the Dodgers have clinched the World Series title in the last two seasons. Although the teams still face each other every year, a scenario where the Angels had to play the Dodgers more than six times annually—like the current format of the Freeway Series—could lead to an unfortunate increase in losses for the Angels, which they can ill afford.
While the specifics of Manfred’s proposed realignment remain somewhat unclear, he has been clear about his intentions to reorganize the two leagues based on geography, create eight distinct divisions, and add two new expansion teams to the league.
If the Angels are indeed placed in a different division from the Dodgers, a variety of teams could potentially join them in this newly established setup. This might include the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, the soon-to-be Las Vegas Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, or even a new franchise possibly based in Portland, Oregon, or Salt Lake City, Utah.
Speculating about how the MLB realignment might unfold for the Angels is certainly intriguing. However, a more immediate concern is assembling a competitive team capable of contending for playoff spots once again. A looming television rights dispute could explain the Angels’ quiet offseason so far, alongside the possibility of a lockout next winter. Nonetheless, there are still several strategic moves the Angels could consider making as spring training approaches.
Given the intense competition in the American League West, the idea of adding the Dodgers to this mix would have posed a daunting challenge for the Angels. Fortunately, if and when MLB realignment takes place, Angels fans can at least be grateful that the threat of facing their cross-town rivals in the same division will not become a reality.
