Blue Jays exploring alternate MLB locations for home games

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly exploring alternate MLB locations to accommodate their home games for the 2020 season.

According to Jason Mackey of PG Sports Now, the Blue Jays have explored the possibility of playing their home games in Pittsburgh at PNC Park. Apparently the Jays and Pirates would only have seven scheduling conflicts throughout the entire season and six of them come after September 08th.

The Blue Jays brain trust have working relationships with Pirates GM Ben Cherington and AGM Steve Sanders from their days in Toronto which could bode well in terms of PNC Park being a viable option.

Earlier this week, the Federal Government nixed the teams hope of playing at the Rogers Centre due to the ongoing border restrictions and the current state of the pandemic south of the border.

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It has been speculated that the alternate location would either be Buffalo or the spring training facility in Dunedin. However, players have expressed their desire to play it’s home games in an MLB equipped stadium as opposed to a minor-league diamond.

Dunedin is the better equipped than Buffalo, however, the current COVID-19 situation is troubling in Flordia posing health concerns. Buffalo has space issues in terms of housing an MLB franchise and the lights are reportedly nowhere near MLB caliber.

It appears that Mark Shapiro and company have been receptive to that thought and are doing their due diligence to access if there is a scenario that is a feasible option. The obvious issue is time not being on the Jays side with their first home game looming.

Toronto will kick off their season on July 24th versus the Tampa Bay Rays with their first home series coming five days later on the 29th against the World Series champions. Regardless of what they decide, the team and its players need answers and some stability in order to prepare for the upcoming campaign.