It seems like expansion is coming closer and closer to a reality for Major League Baseball.

Talks about adding two teams to the majors are rapidly picking up steam and it seems like a matter of when, not if, the bids for the 31st and 32nd MLB franchises will be announced.

On Thursday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred went on WFAN and spoke with Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle to talk about several potential changes.

Among those topics included split seasons, an in-season MLB tournament similar to the NBA Cup and expansion.

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When it came to the topic of expansion, Manfred clarified his vision on realignment. And it's a vision that could impact the Seattle Mariners.

According to an article from The Athletic's Evan Drelich, Manfred said he plans on keeping same-market teams separated, presumably in National League and American League splits. This mindset follows the current status quo of the league with teams such as the Los Angeles Angels (AL), Los Angeles Dodgers (NL), Chicago Cubs (NL), Chicago White Sox (AL), New York Yankees (AL) and New York Mets (NL). 

In the same breath, Manfred also spoke about the potential realignment with expansion, doing it with the intention of creating easier schedules for players.

"You would realign, you would do it along geographic lines," Manfred said on WFAN. "Which would alleviate — could alleviate — a ton of the travel burden that’s on players. Remember, we ask our players (to play) 162 times in 186 days. … You can eliminate a lot of that travel and make it less burdensome, which would be a great thing in terms of player health and safety."

Why this matters for Seattle

One of the cities that has been long-mentioned as a legitimate option for expansion has been Portland, Ore.

Although not a same-city market like the aforementioned teams, it is in the Pacific Northwest just over a two-and-a-half-hour drive south from Seattle.

The Mariners have been the sole team in the PNW market since its inception in 1977.

How Seattle could be impacted

Any bid for an expansion team needs to be approved by 75% of the owners. It's hard to imagine Seattle would be thrilled about breaking up its potential fanbase with the addition of a Portland franchise. Even if owner John Stanton doesn't vote "yes," Major League Baseball in the Rose City could still come to fruition.

It's hard to know based on Manfred's comments whether he would break Portland and Seattle in to opposite Leagues.

Even if he doesn't, a geographical realignment could be applicable to the two PNW teams.

The Mariners are consistently at or near the top of baseball in miles traveled. If there was a new team in Portland, it could give the Mariners an easier travel schedule, especially if the new team was in the M's division.

More about Portland's expansion bid

According to reports, Portland is ahead of the curve compared to other suitors who want a team.

Currently, the expansion effort, headed by the Portland Diamond Project, has about $800 million in public funding via bonds. According to an article published by the Athletic's Stephen J. Nesbitt on Aug. 27, 2025, the Portland Diamond Project also has a sale-and-purchase agreement for a 31-acre waterfront location at Zidell Yards.

In the article, Portland Diamond Project founder and CEO Craig Cheek said the projected expansion fee and stadium building would cost $5-5.5 billion, with the stadium accounting for $2 billion of that cost.

Cheek said the organization is making "significant progress" on finding a primary investor.

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