A tweet is stirring up some waves in media based in the United States, putting the future of the World Baseball Classic in doubt. ESPN’s Christian Moreno is citing multiple sources that the 2017 WBC could be the last unless it’s producing big profits.
#Source: I’ve been told by multiple sources related to #WorldBaseballClassic the 2017 possibly final edition unless legit $$$ earnings come. pic.twitter.com/PlSXiANMi9
— Cristian Moreno (@CristianMorenoD) November 28, 2016
It’s probably too early to tell, but the upcoming CBA between MLB and MLBPA could point toward the future of the WBC. Additionally the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has created the Premier12 with a successful debut in 2015, which might be the better international tournament compared to the classic, and of course baseball and softball are returning to the Olympics in 2020.
The WBC was created in 2006 as a stage for Major League players, which had been missing in Baseball World Cups before. After the Netherlands won the last Baseball World Cup in 2011, the World Baseball Classic is also crowning the baseball world champion since 2013.