As the Tampa Bay Rays consider locations to open the 2025 season after their home, Tropicana Field, was damaged by Hurricane Milton, Montreal will not be an option for the AL East franchise.
According to The Tampa Bay Times‘ Marc Topkin, Montreal officials confirmed that the Olympic Stadium is unavailable to the Rays due to “an extensive four-year, $870 million construction project to replace the roof.”
Olympic Stadium hosted the Montreal Expos from 1977 to 2004 and held Toronto Blue Jays exhibition games from 2014 to 2019. Work began on replacing the roof in July after the multi-million dollar plans were revealed in February. The construction will keep the stadium closed until 2028.
In 2022, MLB shut down planning done by Rays officials to spend half the season in Montreal.
After it was originally reported that Tampa Bay would be unable to open the 2025 campaign at Tropicana Field, the Rays were looking at up to 50 sites where they could play their home games.
A number of Spring Training facilities in Florida, including the Toronto Blue Jays’ TD Ballpark in Dunedin, have been rumoured as temporary homes for the Rays.
Like Montreal, Tampa Bay’s triple-A affiliate in Durham has also been ruled out due to scheduling conflicts.
Topkin reported that outside of the spring locations, a sharing arrangement with the Marlins, the site of the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. and “cities with expansion aspirations and minor-league teams such as Charlotte, Nashville, Salt Lake City and San Antonio, Texas” will likely be considered.
The Rays are scheduled to open the season March 27 against the visiting Colorado Rockies. Tampa Bay’s first six games are at home.
