Blue Jays hoping to play at home
But uncertainty over COVID-19 vaccine has team exploring options, Shapiro says
At some point over the coming months, the Blue Jays will install a new artificial turf playing surface at the aging Rogers Centre, a welcome-back gift for the stadium's prime tenant.
Who knows when the team will get a chance to roll out the green carpet, but the team remains confident games will be played in the downtown stadium some time next season.
The eternal optimist side of Jays chief executive Mark Shapiro clings to hope that the home opener for the 2021 campaign is a possibility for live baseball's return to Toronto. And yes, bright man that he is, Shapiro is well aware that April 8 is that scheduled date.
But the pragmatic side of the accomplished baseball executive recognizes that the Canadian government and a still careening out of control pandemic ultimately could supplant his lofty wishes.
“On one side, we are optimistic and hopeful and absolutely clear that (the Rogers Centre) is where we want to be, ( but) we don't have the luxury to just plan for that,” Shapiro said Friday during a Zoom call with Toronto media. “We need to actively plan for alternatives.”
With that in mind, the Jays are exploring various scenarios for alternative venues, preferably for a short-term timeline. Whether that includes a shared arrangement with another MLB team — as almost happened last season — or use of a minor league stadium remains to be seen.
Should the Canada-u.s. border remain closed through the spring, it's unlikely that the Jays would return to Buffalo for April and May, given the weather would be miserable and the triple A Bisons would be beginning their season. That makes Dunedin's TD Ballpark a prime candidate, especially if the team can convince both MLB and the players association that Toronto would be available in the near term.
The distribution and success of a vaccine will play into any return to Toronto, as well as the Jays' ongoing lobbying efforts with three levels of government.
“We are waiting as long as possible before making any concrete moves because we want to have all the information,” Shapiro said. “Things are moving so rapidly — understanding where the vaccines are in the U.S., understanding where they are in Canada, understanding where distribution is when our population of players can get it ... I don't have answers for any of it.
“Once we have greater clarity, those types of variables along with a lot of MLB input will guide our actions and what we do.”
Shapiro didn't reveal the source of his optimism for having games played in Toronto, but with at least some time on its side, baseball is in a more favourable position than the other major pro sports. COVID-19 may be raging out of control today, but there's almost four months until the MLB season is scheduled to begin.
“I'm not going to concede (that assumption that opening day in Toronto is a no go),” Shapiro said. “I think opening here without fans is almost impossible. We will adapt to what happens but we're not going to concede. We want to play in Toronto. We want to play in Canada. That remains our hope.”
Until then, the Jays will keep an open mind and at least have options in place to avoid the mess last summer when the federal government decision to close the border to baseball was left so long it forced the team to scramble.
“We don't have the luxury of having optimism guide our process,” Shapiro said. “Yes, I am optimistic, but this whole pandemic and crisis has been walking the tightrope between optimism and being candid and realistic as to what the circumstances are. In the interim, we are actively planning, actively having those conversations and looking at alternatives.”
Meanwhile, the where and when of how the 2021 season will unfold for the Jays remains overshadowed by the business of the off-season. Shapiro sounded like a proud parent when discussing the buzz around the team's desire to make an impact move to improvement this off season.
While not putting a dollar value on it, Shapiro brought clarity to the Jays payroll budget and what he described as a commitment by owner Rogers Communications to stick with the multi-year blueprint to build a contender.
“If anything, at this point we've got a firm understanding of the support we have to execute our off-season plan,” Shapiro said. “There is uncertainty in the budget, but not as it pertains to major league payroll.”
That support from ownership has Shapiro convinced that it will be a significantly improved Jays team that takes to the new Rogers Centre carpet, whenever it's welcomed back.
“We need to get better and I'm 100 per cent confident we will get better,” Shapiro said. “That could come in the form of four very good players or two elite players, but we are going to get better. We're having a lot of exciting conversations right now.”