Odds Against Rays Playing Any Regular Season Games in Montreal Before End of 2023 Season

• Major League Baseball has given the Tampa Bay Rays permission to explore the possibility of playing some regular-season games in Montreal
• The Rays are 29th in MLB in attendance
• The Montreal Expos played in the National League from 1969-2004

There’s a long-standing tradition in Montreal and across Quebec. When the weather turns cold, they head south to winter in Florida.

These folks are called snowbirds.

The Tampa Bay Rays want to reverse this process. Sagging at 29th in attendance, the Rays have been granted permission by MLB to explore the possibility of playing some regular-season games in Montreal.

Rays receive permission to explore possibility of a split-season between Tampa Bay and Montreal, Canada. pic.twitter.com/tTH4YR8JrC

— MLB (@MLB) June 20, 2019

Under the proposal, early-season games would be played in Tampa. The team would move to Montreal once the warmer weather reaches Canada.

We’re not sure what you’d call this plan, but many are labeling it dubious. Include sportsbooks in that group. They are offering odds against the Rays playing any games in Montreal before 2024.

Will the Tampa Bay Rays Play Any Games in Montreal Prior to End of 2023 MLB Season?

*All odds taken 06/21/19

The Montreal Expos were members of the National League from 1969-2004 before relocating to become the Washington Nationals.

Is it Blackmail?

The Rays currently sit 29th in MLB attendance, averaging 14,545 fans per game. Only the cross-state Miami Marlins (9,378) are worse.

Tropicana Field attendance results for #Rays vs. #Jays series?

May 27 – 15,883
May 28 – 5,786
May 29 – 6,166

Average: 9,278 bums in seats
Capacity: 42,735
= 78% empty or 22% full ???@SNEricThomas hints the MLB should take a look at moving team to Montreal #amen #Expos #bad pic.twitter.com/6dxuxyef4H

— Sportsicles (@sportsicles) May 30, 2019

Only 5,786 showed up for a May 28th game against the Toronto Blue Jays, a new Tropicana Field low.

The moment news of this proposal to play some games in Montreal went public, St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman was quick to point out that the Rays’ lease at Tropicana Field runs through the end of the 2027 season.

Tampa Bay Rays Attendance from 2014-18

It’s possible that all of this talk is merely subterfuge by the team in order to get the city to build a new stadium. The two sides have been butting heads over this matter for quite some time.

It’s Not Without Precedent

A team moving its home games to another city might not seem a viable long-range plan to endear yourself to your fanbase, but it’s been done before – by Montreal, in fact.

In 2003, the Expos shifted 22 home games to Puerto Rico.

Wow! Tommy Pham had some pretty candid thoughts on the news that the Rays could be splitting time between Tampa Bay and Montreal in the future: pic.twitter.com/us0fUroZop

— Brenden Schaeffer (@bschaeffer12) June 20, 2019

Back in the 1950’s, with attendance sagging at Chicago Stadium, the woeful NHL Blackhawks relocated some home games to cities like St. Louis, Omaha, and Kansas City to gauge interest in hockey in those markets.

Montreal Isn’t Baseball Nirvana

The Expos weren’t exactly packing them in at Olympic Stadium when the club left for Washington. Montreal finished last in MLB attendance in each of its last five seasons.

Montreal Expos Attendance from 2000-04

Montreal doesn’t have a viable stadium. The Rays are locked into a lease for the next eight years.

This looks to be a move based more in posturing than reality.

Tampa Bay Rays have received MLB's permission to explore the idea of becoming a two-city team–Montreal being the other city. Montreal has received my permission to explore the idea of building half a stadium.

— Dave Hodge (@davehodge20) June 20, 2019

Tampa Bay won’t play any regular season games in Montreal by 2023. Or ever, for that matter.

Pick: No (-300)