What we know for sure: The Toronto Blue Jays cannot play baseball in Canada this year. The Canadian government doesn’t allow teams from the US to cross the border and play in their home country, so the Jays are looking for a 2020 home in the United States.
What we don’t know: where will that place of origin be?
From reports on the situation, it appears that three favorites have emerged.
The first and most obvious candidate was always Buffalo. It’s not far from Canada, it’s where the Blue Jays Triple-A affiliate plays, and it’s close to the East Coast, where all the Blue Jays games will take place in 2020. The problem is, the facilities don’t measure up. . league standards, including lighting.
As of Monday morning, Jays executives arrived in Buffalo to assess the situation, and it is believed that updating the lights and some suites in additional areas of the clubhouse would take approximately a week, reports Scott Mitchell of TSN. That is good. The Jays open the season on the road anyway, so they have time.
Still, general manager Russ Atkins said the focus is on entering a major league facility, according to Dan Shulman.
A second possibility is to split Camden Yards with the Orioles. SportsNet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports that there are “active discussions” about the Jays using Oriole Park at Camden Yards as their “home” for the season. There are 10 games between teams to play, leaving only 25 games “at home” for the Blue Jays, surely some of which would find the Orioles on the way. Still, there would also be an overlay where they would possibly have to play Jays games during the day and Orioles games at night in the same stadium, creating logistical headaches.
A third possibility is PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The pirates have released the following statement.
“In an effort to assist in the return of the game we all love, we continue to have active discussions with Major League Baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays organization regarding the possibility of hosting home games for the Blue Jays at PNC Park this season.” It will be a monumental challenge for our staff, but bending down to help others is what Pittsburghers does best.
“If we are able to safely settle in, it will not only bring additional international attention to our city, it will also bring jobs and income for local hotels, restaurants and other businesses that will support the Blue Jays organization, as well as additional team visits.”
Now, the Pirates are in the Central region with the Blue Jays in the East, so there are no games between the two teams. The hunch is that it would be much more difficult for the Pirates and Blue Jays to share a home than for the Orioles and Blue Jays.
You can’t imagine that the Blue Jays are interested in owning multiple homes, so it now appears that the decision will be made between Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Conversations with the Pirates, Orioles and Major League Baseball will likely continue as they work hard to prepare Buffalo just in case. For now, consider the fluid situation.
