Report: President Terry McGuirk says Braves aren’t moving to the Central

The most recent reports of baseball returning suggest a second Spring Training will begin as early as June 10th, with an ideal Opening Day on July 1st in teams’ home ballparks. Former major leaguer, Trevor Plouffe, initially broke this news on Monday, and it was later confirmed by Ken Rosenthal and others yesterday. Under that proposed plan, it likely means there will be three ten-team divisions based on geography, which will put Atlanta in the Central division. However, Braves chairman, Terry McGuirk, called that idea bogus — Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal Constituion reported yesterday. . 

“We live in the East. We play in the East. Our travel will be in the East. We’re an Eastern division team, and that’s where we’ll stay,” said McGuirk. 

We will see if McGuirk changes his mind as more aspects of this plan become official. Right now, nothing is. But while the travel schedule would be a little less in the Braves favor in the Central division rather than the East, the competition might be a little easier in the Central. Atlanta would have the luxury of playing bottom dwellers like the Royals and Tigers, with there being no dominant team, outside of perhaps the Braves and Twins. The East features last year’s World Series champions (Nationals), the team that won the third-most regular-season games (Yankees), a fantastic club on the rise (Rays), and several other organizations that could compete for the playoffs in the Mets, Phillies, and Red Sox. If I’m the Braves, I like the idea of staying in the Central, even if it means a slightly worse travel schedule.