MLB Approves 10 Playoff Teams ... For 2012

Robothal says:

Sources: Additional wild cards a "go" for this season. Playoffs to expand from eight to 10 teams. Announcement tomorrow. #MLB

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 29, 2012

The deadline for MLB and the union to agree to terms on playoff expansion was tomorrow, and, earlier this month, there was some talk that all of the complications arising from this hurried attempt to jam two extra teams into the post-season may end up tabling the whole thing until 2013.

Instead, we'll get a one-game playoff in each league as MLB tries to artificially recreate the excitement generated by a couple of the classic one-game playoffs of the last decade, and gets more revenue, and more ratings ... it's a beautiful setup for the league, and perhaps for somebody like the Angels as well *, as Anaheim's chances of locking down that second wild-card spot increase dramatically with a spot now being available even after the AL East runner-up presumably claims the No. 4 seed.

[* Or the Rangers, if things don't play out as well as hoped in the AL West this year.]