Montreal came “really close” to beating the Rays

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Montreal came “really close” to beating the Rays
Credit: Muzej Vojvodine

Right now, the Olympic Stadium issue is causing quite a stir.

Maxime Truman (DLC) has some good insights on the matter. He mentioned it in a tweet and also wrote an article on the subject. I recommend reading it to learn more about the issue.

Basically, we learn that the seats, boxes, locker rooms, and bleachers at the Olympic Stadium will not be renovated when the stadium reopens in 2028.

The government is reportedly refusing to allocate an additional $200 million right now to renovate the interior as well. We're talking about a configuration capable of hosting baseball, soccer, football, and major music concerts.

This means that, if nothing changes, the Olympic Stadium will be no better equipped than before to host, in the short and medium term, major global events that could benefit from a renovated Big O to come to Montreal.

Those renovations are expected to take place later (in the 2030s), but it would be too late in many respects, starting with CF Montréal. A half-hearted renovation is ridiculous and accomplishes nothing… and that's why there is currently pressure to move up the interior renovations.

Naturally, here at Passion MLB, we're wondering what all this means for baseball and for a potential return of the Expos to Montreal. After all, right now, we're ill-equipped to attract a baseball team.

With the Rays still facing uncertainty about their future in Tampa Bay, Montreal isn't in a strong position to step in as an alternative should the right opportunity arise.

Think about it: if the Rays were to move in 2028, why choose the Olympic Stadium (which isn't exactly the newest in the world, even with the current renovations) without a proper baseball configuration? Without the seats on Level 100, which have been removed, people would be too far from the action.

Building on Maxime Truman's information, I took my research a step further to see how much the Olympic Stadium issue was affecting the Expos' situation.

That's the angle that interests me the most, oddly enough.

And what I was told, in connection with this topic, is that I didn't realize just how “really close” Montreal came to landing the Rays in recent years.

Note: I'm not talking here about simply bringing them in just for 2025 (which could have happened if the Olympic Stadium weren't under renovation) while waiting for Tropicana Field to be ready. Nor am I talking about a shared home.

I'm talking about actually bringing them here.

As for the return of the Expos, we agree that a relocation would have been ideal—and that would have involved the Rays, a top-tier club that makes do with what it has. After all, an expansion franchise is pretty expensive for a Canadian market like Montreal.

Remember that entrepreneur Ashkan Karbasfrooshan has been actively trying for months to bring the Expos back.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.

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