Two realignment scenarios that could help the Padres, and two that could hurt them

With Rob Manfred's recent comment indicating expansion and realignment are likely, here is how the Padres could benefit, or be weakened

Baltimore Orioles v Chicago Cubs | Patrick McDermott/GettyImages Rob Manfred's comment last week indicated that MLB expansion is likely happening. In the event of expansion, realignment would also be necessary to balance the divisions. Here are two scenarios that could help the Friars, and two that could hurt them.

Help: Padres split from Dodgers

It's a pipe dream, but if the Padres wound up in a different division than their rival Los Angeles Dodgers, it would be a massive benefit for San Diego. It would drastically increase their odds of winning the division…