Rob Manfred is open-minded about the possibility of Major League Baseball expanding for the first time since the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays came on board in 1998.

"Maybe one of the reasons I got this job is, I'm bullish on this game," the commissioner said. "I think we are a growth business, broadly defined. And over an extended period of time, growth businesses look to get bigger. So yeah, I'm open to the idea that there will be a point in time where expansion may be possible."

Manfred said MLB has compiled a list of cities that might be viable options through expansion or possible relocation from existing markets.

Montreal, Charlotte, North Carolina, San Antonio, Portland, Oregon, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, northern New Jersey, Mexico City or Monterrey, Mexico, are among the markets that could eventually land on baseball's radar as potential locations for new or relocated franchises.