With the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly shifting their focus to PNC Park in Pittsburgh to host their home schedule, Mayor Byron Brown isn't giving up hope the Jays will decide to play their 30 home games at Sahlen Field starting next week.
Both the Toronto Sun and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Sunday night that the Jays and Major League Baseball are working on a plan to host Toronto games at the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, which opened in 2000 and is generally considered a top-echelon ballpark among MLB teams. The Blue Jays cannot play this season at Rogers Centre after federal officials in Canada rejected their application to stay home this season because of concern over teams' cross-border travel during the pandemic.
Brown told Toronto radio station Sportsnet590 The Fan on Monday morning that he understands fast work will be needed at Sahlen Field, but hopes the Bisons' parent and MLB will keep the city in mind.
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"There's a difference between even a state-of-the-art Triple-A stadium and a major-league baseball stadium. We would have to do more to get the stadium up to major-league standards," Brown said. "The Buffalo Bisons are doing everything that they can to become a viable option for the Toronto Blue Jays.
"... We are prepared to try to do whatever we can to make this a viable option for the Blue Jays, roll out the red carpet for the Blue Jays and make Buffalo feel like home as the players deal with these difficult circumstances, not being able to play at the Rogers Centre."
It's a Triple-A ballpark, albeit one of the nicer ones you'll find even after all this time.
After their workout Sunday, Blue Jays players speaking on Zoom calls with the media said they wanted to be sure they played at a major-league facility this season. President Mark Shapiro said Saturday that the Jays have infrastructure concerns in Buffalo with clubhouse and training facilities for players.
Pitcher Anthony Bass said he expressed the team's desire to General Manager Ross Atkins on Saturday.
"They're listening to everything we're saying," Bass said. "I got a chance to talk with Ross yesterday after I was done pitching and just said, 'Look, we want to play in a major-league ballpark. We feel that's the best opportunity for us.' And he agreed. He said, 'I listen to you guys loud and clear. That's what we're going to do for you because that's what the team wants.'
"It's really encouraging and super-supportive of Mark and Ross for listening to our opinions and really taking them to heart."
Added outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who played for the Bisons in 2017: "I would like to go to a major-league field, But for me, I don’t care where, I just want go and play and do my job and try to do things to help the team.”
Brown said New York's low numbers of Covid-19 cases make Buffalo a good fit for the Jays, and the city's phased reopening would give players' families lots of options if games were played here.
"There's tremendous love for the Blue Jays in Buffalo," the mayor said, referring to the teams' affiliation that dates to 2013. "... We have flattened the curve in New York State and it's a very safe place to play. We are still a top-100 American city, so there are a lot of things to do in Buffalo and players' families could come to our city and have a great time in the city, which is in Phase 4 of reopening."
Wherever they play, time is of the essence and the Blue Jays are now in scramble mode to have a site for their regular season games. The home opener is July 29 against Washington.
The Pittsburgh option makes sense for the Jays. New Pirates GM Ben Cherington left his post as vice president of baseball operations in Toronto to head to Pittsburgh last fall and the city would still give the Jays an Eastern base to mitigate travel for visiting teams.
There are seven current conflicts between the Jays' home schedule and that of the Pirates that MLB would have to work through, either by shifting some games or perhaps playing a doubleheader or two.
"We're professionals. We're going to try to win games wherever we play," manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters Sunday.
The Blue Jays have been training in Toronto for the last two-plus weeks and head on the road to play exhibition games Tuesday and Wednesday night in Boston. They open their season Friday night at Tampa Bay.
