The Toronto Blue Jays will call Buffalo home for the 2020 MLB Season.
Six days ago, the Canadian government nixed plans for the Jays to play in The Rogers Centre due to COVID-19 concerns.
Buffalo, where the Jays' Triple-AAA affiliate plays, had been considered an option as well as the team's spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida. But much of team balked given how COVID-19 has spiked in Florida in recent weeks.
The Blue Jays had hoped to share PNC Park with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Pennsylvania Department of Health put the kibosh on that idea. Evidently there was similar resistance by officials in Maryland about sharing Camden Yards with the Baltimore Orioles.
Interestingly, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont broached the idea of the Jays playing in Hartford. Dunkin' Donuts Park is home to the Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. It doesn't appear the Jays responded to Lamont. My guess would be they would have to make significant upgrades to the park as they will with Sahlen Field and already have an existing relationship with the Buffalo club.
Due to these upgrades, the Jays won't play their first home game in Buffalo until either July 31st or August 11th. In the meantime, the Blue Jays shall have to roam before calling Buffalo home.
This will mark the first time there have been three teams in New York state since 1957 when the Yankees, Giants and Dodgers called the Big Apple home. It will also mark the first time no MLB will be played on Canadian soil since 1968.
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