Proposals keep popping up while we wait to see what happens next with baseball. Play in Arizona only? Spring training at home ballparks? Use exclusively warm climates?
Among them, floated last week by a USA Today report, was a radical realignment of divisions in order to mitigate travel. Logistical problems aside -- does one team want to constantly go to New York? -- the change could produce current and future intrigue.
Here’s what the East would look like if baseball shifted into three divisions, merging the two leagues:
New York Yankees and Mets, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins
One thing to keep in mind, and this can be discussed further later, is there’s a chance something altered now ends up retained as a good idea when the collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2021 season. A lot of trial runs (ties, universal DH, etc.) could be used this year if baseball resumes.
But, for now, let’s pretend the east is merged. Here are four matchups to look forward to:
Gerrit Cole vs. the Nationals (and Juan Soto)
One of the notable things from the Nationals’ group Zoom call for Ryan Zimmerman’s Pros for Heroes charity was their reaction to Zack Greinke being removed from Game 7 by Houston manager A.J. Hinch after 6 ⅓ masterful innings. Greinke baffled the Nationals throughout the night. When Hinch lifted him, Cole was ready. But it was new Nationals reliever Will Harris who entered. Cole never pitched in the game, something the Nationals players mentioned repeatedly during the call. Cole’s mindset following the decision likely mirrors that of Ron Harper after the Cleveland coach put Craig Ehlo on Michael Jordan instead of Harper.
For a specific matchup, it’s Cole vs. Soto. Soto hit a home run off Cole in Game 1 of the World Series. He later hit another homer in Game 5. This would be a matchup to enjoy on a more frequent basis.
Max Scherzer vs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
This would allow Scherzer to face the offspring of a free-swinging Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr.
Scherzer didn’t do well against the elder Guerrero. Vlad the dad was 4-for-9 with two home runs against him.
The matchups took place when Scherzer was still developing into one of the game’s best starting pitchers. Guerrero Sr. retired in 2011, spending his final four seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles. Scherzer was sent to the American League in 2010 when Arizona traded him and Daniel Schlereth as part of a three-team trade. Detroit sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees and Edwin Jackson to Arizona. The Yankees sent Phil Coke and Austin Jackson to Detroit. New York also sent Ian Kennedy to Arizona.
So, facing Vlad the younger would put Scherzer in place to exact some revenge for the damage done to his ERA by Vlad the dad.
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Tampa Bay vs. Davey Martinez
Here’s fun trivia: Name the top six teams in terms of regular-season wins during the 2010s.
Some choices are obvious: New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Boston.
But two other teams are on the list: Washington and Tampa Bay. They are fourth and sixth, respectively.
Merging the leagues would put Martinez opposite the team he grew into coaching with when Joe Maddon made him the bench coach. Martinez was surprised when asked to join the staff, and really only did so out of necessity.
Martinez worked for the Rays as a special instructor at spring training. But then George Hendrick, the regular first base coach, was going to miss the start of the 2007 season because of an injury, Maddon told Martinez he was going to fill-in. That started their full-time run together and was the next step in the process which eventually landed Martinez in the manager’s office in Washington.
Bryce Harper vs. the New York Yankees
For years, the inevitable was projected to be Bryce Harper and the New York Yankees.
Remember all the rationales? Harper’s favorite player is Mickey Mantle. The Yankees are the big spenders who always want to make a big splash. The short right field to target. It just fit: Harper’s hair and histrionics in the Big Apple.
Of course, that did not happen. Instead, he’s locked into Philadelphia likely for the rest of his career.
So, it would be fun to see him regularly against the Yankees.
Harper has a .179 carer average in 46 plate appearances against the Yankees. He hit .250 in 17 plate appearances in Yankees Stadium.
Harper is regularly booed whenever he plays on the road. In this case, jaded Yankees (who didn’t hear Brian Cashman say the Yankees were not pursuing Harper) would be able to boo his way more often and Harper would have a chance to silence them.
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