With the Oakland A’s and Florida Marlins facing diminished hopes for new ballparks, contraction is again an option some MLB owners are throwing on the table.
With the Oakland A’s and Florida Marlins facing diminished hopes for new ballparks, contraction is again an option some MLB owners are throwing on the table.
We can’t speak with authority as to how serious the talk is, or whether or not it’s just a negotiating ploy to get unwilling municipalities to cough up more advantageous ballpark deals. After all, this wouldn’t be the first time MLB officials threw contraction out there when a team needed help toward acquiring a new ballpark — the fans of Minnesota certainly remember Bud Selig threatening contraction at a crucial point during Twins ballpark discussions — and we’re not exactly sure this is anything more than chatter. But it’s out there, and it’s right on schedule: about a month ago we predicted the next stage of Marlins ballpark negotiations would include the threat of contraction, and MLB did not disappoint.