The Athletics are reportedly going abroad... again. For the third time since 2008 and the first since 2012, the Athletics will play in the Tokyo Dome to open the 2019 season, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle. The Athletics played the Mariners there in 2012 and the Red Sox in 2008, splitting both series.

The series is part of MLB's efforts to expand internationally. It will mark the 15th and 16th times official games have been played outside of the United States, and the ninth and tenth times one has been played in Tokyo. In addition, four games have been played in Puerto Rico. MLB's affinity for Tokyo comes for an obvious reason, of course. A lot of prospects come from Japan and Japanese leagues, not to mention well-established players. Baseball remains one of the most popular sports in Japan and that makes it a very viable market for MLB. 

MLB has been moving in an international direction for some time. Between the success of the World Baseball Classic, the popularity of the game overseas and the sheer international diversity that MLB currently sports among its players, it makes sense to want to have as many eyes as possible on the game. The timing couldn't be better, never mind that it's a scheduled series. Shohei Ohtani brings a massive fanbase from his days with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. As one of the most popular players in Japan, he naturally brings fans with him. Think if Mike Trout went to play overseas.

The Athletics, meanwhile, appear to be all in on the series.

"If we're in the running, I'd be 100 percent all for it," said A's manager Bob Melvin on Wednesday, via The Chronicle. "Not only did we have a great time -- it's a life lesson as much as anything -- but it significantly helped our team come together in 2012."

As for the travel to Japan, it certainly did not hurt that team in the long run. The A's went 94-68 and won the AL West that season.

The next step for MLB's international series would likely be in the Dominican Republic, one of the most prolific sources for MLB talent. As of now, four games have been played in Mexico (three in 1996 and one in 1999), eight in Tokyo (two in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012) and two in Sydney, Australia (both in 2014). 

The WBC was the biggest eye-opener for a lot of fans in America on how successful globalized baseball can be. On Opening Day in 2017, 29.8 percent of players were born outside of the United States. That's an uptick from 27.5 percent in 2016. The WBC has not only highlighted the diversity of baseball, it highlights how high-level that diversity is. Compare, for example, the level of play that you see in basketball at the Summer Olympics. The concept there is simple. They play for a while and the U.S. wins. The last time Team USA didn't take home the gold was in 2004 in Athens.

Meanwhile, in the WBC, the United States has won only once. Japan won in 2006 and 2009, while the Dominican Republican won in 2013, and the U.S. finally won in 2017. Puerto Rico is also successful, having taken second in the last two editions.

Commissioner Rob Manfred has also expressed interest in going (more) international with a more permanent stake, hinting that Montreal or Mexico City are very much in play for an expansion team alongside cities like Charlotte.

With that in mind, although MLB is already technically international, this is an opportunity to take it even further in that direction. The popularity of baseball is significant worldwide, and MLB is doing its best to cultivate it. By drawing in more fans, it lets future prospects see MLB teams, gets fans' eyes on the game as "we" play it, and shows an interest in expanding the league's footprint. Sure, Manfred isn't exactly testing the waters for putting a team in Japan. But the reasons for wanting to expand outside of North America's borders are undoubtedly enticing.