"We'll examine the rules again as we move on in the evolution of this tournament, " Archey said.

WSJ: World Baseball Classic��What Spain Lacks: Spaniards

Japan represents MLB's biggest non-U.S. market for TV and merchandise revenue, according to Senior Vice President for International Business Paul Archey.

FORBES

MLB's Archey said that while a foreign franchise is always a future possibility, it's not the immediate goal of the World Baseball Classic.

FORBES: Major League Baseball Goes Global

Paul Archey, MLB's senior vice president of international business operations, said one of the goals of the tournament is to grow baseball in countries like Spain to the point where they can eventually field homegrown teams.

WSJ: World Baseball Classic��What Spain Lacks: Spaniards