MLB Rumors: Rays’ Tampa Bay, Montreal Time Share May Already Be Dead

Well, that certainly did not last long.

The Tampa Bay Rays made headlines Thursday when they were granted permission from Major League Baseball to pursue the possibility of splitting seasons between St. Petersburg, Fla. and Montreal. But it appears that possibility may already be in some trouble.

The Rays’ plan reportedly was to play early-season games in Florida before spending the warmer summer months in Montreal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

But it seems the mayor of St. Petersburg is not too pleased over the news, and plans to block the Rays from negotiating a deal, as the franchise and the city have an agreement that carries through 2027.

So, it seems the Rays won’t be playing baseball in Montreal for at least the next several years. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be another baseball team north of the border as Montreal still is free to build a new stadium and pursue a team of its own.