Long frustrated with their inability to find a new stadium and fill their well-worn current one, the Tampa Bay Rays were given permission by Major League Baseball’s executive council on Wednesday to begin exploring an unusual possibility: to split their games between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal. Although Commissioner Rob Manfred stressed that the effort was simply an exploration for now, the idea was seen as a possible life preserver for a Rays franchise that has struggled to find a new facility, lags near the bottom in attendance, has a less lucrative television deal than its peers — and still remains competitive on the field despite small payrolls. [From May: The Rays Are a Surrealist’s Delight]“The purpose of the split season would be to preserve baseball in Tampa, but improve the economics of the club over all by playing some of their games in Montreal,” Manfred said at a news conference concluding the owners’ meetings in New York on Thursday. He added later: “There was no commitment or discussion or grant on the issue of a permanent relocation. It was simply the split-season possibility.”

Source: New York Times June 21, 2019 00:00 UTC