Another realignment idea: What if new baseball divisions were based on market size?

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announces that Wrigley Field will host the 2027 All-Star Game as Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts earlier this month in Chicago. AP

Commissioner Rob Manfred caused a bit of a stir recently when he said during an ESPN telecast that expansion and realignment could be on the table soon.

That led to a number of suggestions and ideas about what baseball's league and divisional structure might look like in the future, with geography and traditional rivalries driving much of that discussion.

But there's another factor that in theory can be used to reorganize the sport: market size.

With a collective bargaining fight looming, competitive balance — and how to improve it — is likely to be a major point of contention. If owners pursue a salary cap, that could lead to parti