Major League Baseball could add two new franchises and overhaul its divisional structure, Commissioner Rob Manfred said during ESPN’s broadcast of the Little League Classic on Sunday night. Manfred linked expansion and geographic realignment, arguing that a 32-team league would allow a travel-friendly schedule and a postseason format he believes would be more attractive to broadcast partners such as ESPN. MLB has not expanded since 1998, when the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays raised the total to 30 clubs. Manfred added that owners see “demand for Major League Baseball in a lot of great cities” and that resolving stadium issues for the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays has cleared the way for serious expansion talks. He gave no timetable for a formal vote but framed the discussion as part of longer-term planning ahead of the collective-bargaining agreement that expires after the 2026 season. Separately, the commissioner said MLB expects to settle its ongoing media-rights negotiations, including with ESPN, within the next few weeks. The league and the network mutually opted out of their current deal in February, but Manfred described current talks with multiple parties as “very detailed” and close to resolution.