Where Will the Blue Jays Call Home in 2020?
The major league baseball season, such as it is, gets underway on Thursday. Most of the details have been hammered out after a ton of back and forth between the MLBPA and the owners. We know that teams will play a 60-game schedule with 40 games against division opponents and the other 20 contests against the same division from the other league in interleague action. The universal DH is in play for this season and so is the plan for extra innings where teams will start with a runner on second base in order to try and keep from a ton of marathon games that would tax bullpens after the extended layoff.
One thing that we don’t know as of right now is where the Toronto Blue Jays will play their home games this season.
After being shot down by the Canadian government for a waiver to be able to play their home games at Rogers Centre this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Blue Jays are trying to explore all available options. The Blue Jays start their season at Tropicana Field on Friday and are slated to begin the home portion of their schedule next Wednesday against Washington. Where that game may take place remains to be seen at this point but we’ve heard several different options for the venue.
Toronto has kicked around playing at their normal spring training park down in Dunedin, Florida but the Sunshine State has been buried with an influx of cases during the coronavirus pandemic. An alternative solution would be to play in Buffalo, which houses their Triple-A affiliate, but there are concerns that the lighting at the stadium isn’t at a major league standard. In addition, the players have spoken about how they want to play in a major league stadium.
Now, there are reports that the Blue Jays have contacted several major league teams to see if they could work out some sort of co-tenant arrangement where Toronto would play where another major league club exists. One of the teams that has come out and said that they were contacted was the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh team president Travis Williams said the following in a statement on Monday:
"In an effort to help 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. This will be a monumental challenge for our staff but leaning in to help others is what Pittsburghers do best. If we are able to safely accommodate, not only will it bring additional international attention to our city, it will also bring with it jobs and revenue for local hotels, restaurants and other businesses that will support the Blue Jays organization as well as additional visiting teams."
Pittsburgh has its pros and cons about being a potential venue for the Blue Jays. While the fact that the ballpark is a major league one, it also is in the heart of Allegheny County, which is one of the areas hardest hit by the coronavirus in Pennsylvania. That is something that has to be taken into consideration at this point in time. One of the positives if the Steel City turns out to be a host is that there is a limited number of conflicts with home games. According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, there are just seven dates where both teams are scheduled to be at home, six of which come after September 7.
Other potential landing sites that have been kicked about include Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, which is the home of a fellow AL East team in the Orioles. There also have been reports that the organization has been in contact with Charlotte, where they would play at Truist Field, home of the Charlotte Knights of the Triple-A International League. There are likely other options out there as the Blue Jays are said to have at least five alternatives to play at this season. The smart decision would be to invest the money into Sahlen Field in Buffalo and play their games there. After all, Buffalo is Toronto’s Triple-A team and, should minor league play return in 2021, the park will be fully up to speed and can only help player development and rehabilitation. Whether the Blue Jays go that route or not remains to be seen but it would be the smart move.
We’ll have to wait and see in the coming days to determine where Toronto plays but look at the bright side: no matter where they play, it will be actual baseball.
