Rays Advisor on Plan to Split Home Games with Montreal: 'This is Real'

The Rays don't plan to fully move to Montreal even if they play games outside of St. Petersburg in the 2020s.

A plan to split Rays home games between St. Petersburg, Fla., and Montreal in the next decade is still on track, according to Canadian businessman and Rays advisor Stephen Bronfman.

"This is real,'' Bronfman told TSN 690. "This is the year we're going to prove this thing out.''

Bronfman shared his idea to have the Rays spend half the year in Montreal on Thursday, taking a shot at St. Petersburg in the process.

"Say the shift [to Montreal] happens second week of June, mid-June,'' Bronfman said. "School season is over. Family moves up, they move to Montreal for the summer. Wives are happy. Much nicer city to be in than St. Petersburg, please. Much more cosmopolitan. Much more fun.''

It remains unknown when any potential time-share system would begin for the Rays. Their contract at Tropicana Field runs through 2028, and a stadium still has to be built in Montreal to host the Rays. But MLB commissioner Rob Manfred appears on board with the potential two-city season. Manfred said on Thursday that the sharing plan is "100%" the best way to keep the Rays in Tampa, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin.

Rays president Matt Silverman told WDAE 620 that the Rays' "sole focus" for a new home is Montreal, though they are open to building an open-air stadium after Tropicana Field closes.

The Rays reached the playoffs in 2019 for the first time in six seasons. This season will mark their 23rd campaign in St. Petersburg.