A New World Order
Morning Dose: Tuesday, August 19
☀️ GOOD MORNING:
The Phillies and Reds won, so the Mets lost 1/2 game in both directions of the standings while they were idle on Monday.
They join the troops in Washington and occupy Nationals Park to try to build on their two-game winning streak (sorry, couldn’t help myself).
Meanwhile, we are still waiting for an update on Francisco Álvarez’s right thumb. He was set to receive an MRI in New York on Monday.
☕️ Grab your coffee for your morning dose of Mets Fix!
🌎 A NEW WORLD ORDER?
Rob Manfred, as he is known to do, caused a bit of a stir from his interview on ESPN on Sunday. While there are a number of topics that can cause both fans and players, alike, to bemoan the unpopular commissioner, a hint at realignment has caught the most attention.
Realignment? “I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign,” Manfred told ESPN in talking about the benefits of eventually expanding to two more markets. “I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN because you’d be playing up out of the East and out of the West.”
💰 Follow the money: MLB is currently negotiating new broadcast deals after ESPN opted out of the final three years of its contract, which ends after the 2025 season. There are rumors that streaming services, such as Netflix and Apple TV+, could be added to MLB’s portfolio, while ESPN could be added back to the mix under new terms.
