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TORONTO – Whenever Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo gave a speech to free agents this offseason, there’s one topic he knew would come up.
“The first question is whether we are going to play in Toronto,” Montoyo said Friday. “Rightly so. Our answer is, ‘Yeah, we hope so.'”
So far, that’s hope and not certainty for the Blue Jays, who have yet to receive clearance to host games at the Rogers Center. Although Canadian officials allowed the Blue Jays to hold their summer training camp in Toronto last July, a request to play regular season games north of the border was denied. That left the Blue Jays scrambling to find a solution days before the season opens. Toronto played on the road for more than two weeks before moving to Buffalo, New York, the home of their Triple-A affiliate.
With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, the Canada-U.S. Border remains closed for non-essential travel. The Toronto Raptors have moved to Tampa, Florida for the upcoming NBA season.
In a December 11 conference call, Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro shared Montoyo’s optimism about playing games at Rogers Center in 2021, but said he would not require firm response from Canadian officials before his team reunites in Dunedin, Fla. for spring training.
“I just wouldn’t want to paint us in this corner,” Shapiro said. “I think there might be circumstances where the advice we get from government and public health agencies is, ‘Hey, give us another two weeks, three weeks and we’ll have a better idea. “We have the impression that the weeks are going to be significant to make these decisions.”
If the Blue Jays don’t get permission to play in Toronto, they could choose to start in Dunedin, where the stadium was recently renovated and a brand new complex has just opened.
“It might be one of the best in the United States right now,” Montoyo said of the new facility. “Having a complex like this makes it easier if we have to go this route.”
Each time the Blue Jays return to the Rogers Center, they will play on a new surface. Shapiro said the team is replacing the current artificial turf due to wear and tear. The new surface will be permanently attached to the stadium floor. The change improves player safety by eliminating the stitching required to join the many pieces of the current removable surface.
Montoyo also said on Friday that he had not ruled out another defensive change for young slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who played first base in 2020 but plays third in the Dominican Winter League.
“The door is open for him to come back on third base because you don’t close the door on a talent like that,” Montoyo said.
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