MLB: Plenty of questions but few answers regarding return of baseball to Montreal

Five questions regarding the return of Major League Baseball to Montreal: Is ownership and real money ready to step up for baseball in Montreal?

When Mayor Denis Coderre travelled to New York to meet with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in May 2015, he was given a road map of what needs to be in place before Montreal could be considered for relocation or expansion.

Coderre and former Expos outfielder Warren Cromartie will continue to lead the charge.

Stephen Bronfman has forever been linked to the revival, while Montreal Baseball Project lists among its spon-

sors the Royal Bank of Canada, allsports TV network RDS, Air Canada and other mostly small businesses. The former partners of Jeffrey Loria, other than Mark Routtenberg, would likely not be interested, soured as they were by the first experience. Have they decided on a location for a new stadium?

One thing is certain — Olympic Stadium is not an option. As early as the early 1990s, the Expos had plans for a new stadium just south of the old Windsor Station, seating 35,000 people and within walking distance from the downtown core. As time passed and nothing was done, that land was no longer available and other options were discussed.

The site of the old Montreal Children’s Hospital, near the old Forum, was discussed but access and cost were problems. The leading site now is the Peel Basin near Griffintown. Is Montreal the leading city for expansion in North America?

With a population approaching four million, Montreal is the largest city in Canada or the U.S. that does not currently have a major-league baseball team. Internationally, Mexico City had previously been discussed, but not as much recently. MLB is using Montreal’s interest to try and leverage concessions for the Tampa Bay Rays out of three levels of local government in Florida. And only when the Rays’ stadium issue is

resolved will there be any talk of expansion. Montreal is at the top of that list, along with Las Vegas, Charlotte, San Antonio, Portland and — as a very long shot — Vancouver. Would the Blue Jays oppose adding another Canadian team?

Never forget that in 2002, the Blue Jays voted in favour of contraction, with the Expos and the Twins being the targets. They will say it was a foregone conclusion at the time and former commissioner Bud Selig always preferred unanimity among ownership, but in that case it would have been easy for the Jays to abstain or vote no. If Montreal was to be given a second chance, the Jays would surely demand financial con- cessions like Washington was forced to give the Baltimore Orioles, especially in the area of broadcast revenues when the Expos moved south to become the Nationals. Rogers owns the broadcast rights for the Jays and it is expected the new Expos would likely be a Bell property. Does a weak Canadian dollar stand in the way of baseball returning to Montreal?

With most of their expenses incurred in U.S. dollars and most of the local revenues, including attendance, sponsorship and local broadcast revenues in Canadian loonies, it presents a problem. But baseball as an industry has never been more profitable.