MLB Reportedly Denies Rays' Request to Split Season Between Tampa Bay and Montreal

It was [.

Joseph Zucker is the featured Columnist for January 20, 2022.

The images are by Julio Aguilar.

The plan to split an MLB season between St. Petersburg, Florida, and Montreal will have to be abandoned.

The outcome is sure to frustrate and stun team officials, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. The strategy was expected to be moved forward and new open-air stadiums pursued at both sites.

Most people agree that the Rays deserve better than the field they are in.

The location is not ideal since it's not in Florida and fans have to put up with traffic. Anyone who has seen a ball carom off the catwalks knows that the venue isn't good for baseball.
It is proving difficult to build a new stadium. The process has been going on for a long time with little to show for it.

The "Sister City" plan was an alternative. The owner of the team told Topkin in December that he had lost hope in remaining in the region on a full-time basis.

I'm willing to have a conversation. They would have to explain why it worked. We spent a lot of time on it. Some of the really solid business leaders tried to make it work. I can't imagine a genie in a bottle showing me why it would work. You never say never, but I can't imagine it. It's not very likely.

The plan was endorsed by the Commissioner in February 2020.

The two-city alternative they're exploring is viable and could be a really good solution for keeping baseball in the area.

The other owners have been convinced that this is the best way to keep Major League Baseball in the area.

The split-season approach has always been met with skepticism.

Logistical questions are posed because of the distance between the two cities and the fact that they are in different countries. Fans in both cities may never feel like they are their own.

Two new stadiums are needed. Each venue was estimated to cost around $500 million or $600 million, and the Rays were projecting to average 25,000 fans in each city.

It's not clear if MLB's decision will lead to the relocation of the Rays.