Although it’s been 19 years since the Expos left Montreal for Washington to become the Nationals, the hopes of an MLB team returning to the city have never fully dissipated.
With that said, Montreal’s baseball dreams could soon become a reality through the expansion process.
On Monday, 98.5 FM’s Jeremy Filosa published a report that features an interview with an MLB insider who wishes to remain anonymous. According to the source, the MLB has wanted to go from 30 to 32 teams for the past few years, but commissioner Rob Manfred has insisted that it was necessary to wait to first resolve issues around the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland A’s.
As a result, Nashville and Salt Lake City are the cities that have shown the most interest in getting their respective MLB franchises.
However, Filosa’s article revealed that the league has not abandoned the idea of ​​giving Montreal another chance.
Throughout the published interview, the insider reviews various pros and cons surrounding Montreal as a market. They are as follows.
Pros
- Montreal is the largest potential MLB market without a team.
- With North American sports making efforts to “internationalize,” a French-speaking city would be an asset.
- The location of the Olympic Stadium is good, but infrastructure changes are needed.
- Successful turnouts at Toronto Blue Jays preseason games in Montreal over the past few years.
Cons
- Olympic Stadium is obsolete and would require major renovations to be used. These alterations include the replacement of the roof, the acoustic and lighting system, as well as the stands and boxes.
- Questions surrounding the level of desire for professional baseball in the city
- Being in Canada could work against Montreal, especially if other American cities are bidding for a team.
Whichever cities win the bid will have to wait a while. According to the insider, the expansion process can take around five years and cost upwards of $2 billion.
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