Report: Camden Yards among Blue Jays' contingency plans

The Toronto Blue Jays are exploring the possibility of playing at Camden Yards, home of the AL East rival Baltimore Orioles, during the 2020 season, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports.

The site could work because players would get their wish of using an MLB stadium and the two teams don't have home games simultaneously scheduled in September, Nicholson-Smith notes.

With the Blue Jays' home opener just nine days away, the club is looking for a home stadium after the Canadian government denied its request to play at Rogers Centre in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic.

General manager Ross Atkins said Monday that the team's currently considering "well over five solid contingency plans," according to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling, who adds the club will likely play at Buffalo's Sahlen Field if it can't find an MLB ballpark to use.

However, Blue Jays players are not keen on the idea of playing at the Triple-A facility in Buffalo. PNC Park, which hosts the Pittsburgh Pirates, has emerged as another option. The Pirates confirmed Monday they are in talks with the Blue Jays about accommodating Toronto's home schedule.

"In an effort to help in the return of the game we all love, we continue to have active discussions with Major League Baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays organization regarding the possibility of hosting home games for the Blue Jays at PNC Park this season," Pirates president Travis Williams said in a statement, according to Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic.

"This will be a monumental challenge for our staff, but leaning in to help others is what Pittsburghers do best."

Atkins also admitted a hybrid scenario exists where the Blue Jays would spit home contests between a minor-league and major-league ballpark, though that option isn't preferred.

Another alternative would be occasionally playing scheduled home games in the visiting team's ballpark with the Blue Jays serving as the home team, Zwelling adds.