MONTREAL -- Is baseball returning to Montreal? The answer seems unclear after dueling news stories came out on Saturday.
In an article in the Journal de Montreal, Stephen Bronfman reportedly said his group of investors would become part owners of the Tampa Bay Rays in a matter of months. In June it was revealed that Rays ownership was exploring the possibility of sharing the team with Montreal, with the team playing half of its home games in each city.
Bronfman had welcomed the proposal but in December the plan was put on hold when the mayor of St. Petersburg, Fla. said the team and the city had decided to abide by their existing contract, which obligates the Rays to play at Tropicana Field until the end of the 2027 season.
Bronfman reportedly told the Journal de Montreal that negotiations were “very advanced” for his group to become minority shareholders, an expected a deal to be announced in three to four months. He added that both current Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred were on board. According to the Journal de Montreal, the deal would have a team playing in a new stadium near the Peel Basin in June 2024.
CTV News could not reach Bronfman for comment.
However, Sternberg was quick to shoot down any excitement. “It isn’t true,” he told the Tampa Bay Times, adding that while there is a possibility of Bronfman and his partners become minority shareholders in the future “there’s nothing happening in months. No way.”
Sternberg said he couldn’t foresee selling any part of the team to the Montreal group until construction was underway on a new stadium.
