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Red Sox should benefit from expanded playoffs

Print | Comments () Posted by Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff March 1, 2012 09:11 AM

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By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff

FORT MYERS, Fla. — An announcement on expanded playoffs by Major League Baseball and the players union could come soon.

The field will be expanded to 10 teams with an extra wild card in each league. Three teams from the same division could make the playoffs in what would be a sudden-death opening round.

The Red Sox appear to be rated below New York, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers with most preseason prognosticators. They seem to enjoy that underdog role considering last year the Red Sox were considered a 100-win team at this time.

The reasons I like it?

1. Increased attention to the trading deadline. It's my favorite time of the year, And with the possibility of an added team, more teams will feel the urgency to make a trading deadline deal, which always creates excitement.

2. Teams stay in the race longer. In cities where baseball is over in mid-summer, there's more hope they can stay in the race and compete for something longer.

3. Love the sudden death aspect of it, which means winning the division means something again.