Report: Blue Jays to play home games at Pittsburgh's PNC Park
The Toronto Blue Jays are headed to the 'Burgh.
The Blue Jays have been informed that they will play their 2020 home schedule at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, a source told Sportsnet's Hazel Mae.
They'll share the stadium with the Pirates, who are playing their 60-game schedule in MLB's central region.
It's still unclear how many home games the Blue Jays will play in the Steel City. While the Pirates have agreed to share PNC Park, the Blue Jays still need to secure final approvals from both the local and state levels before it becomes official, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
The Blue Jays were left without a home after the Canadian government denied their request to play home games at Rogers Centre this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada's Quarantine Act requires all travelers entering the country to isolate for 14 days; both the Blue Jays and visiting teams would have been subject to those rules. The Canada-U.S. border remains closed to most travelers.
The decision to share PNC Park may have been aided by several connections between the two teams. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spent the last several years in the Blue Jays' front office and was involved in discussions between the sides.
"The reality is that we need the Blue Jays to play in order for all of us to play," Cherington said Thursday, according to Chris Adamski of TribLive.com. "It's a league full of 30 teams, and we need 30 teams in order to start the season. So right now, we have an issue. We have a problem that we need to solve, and that is helping the Blue Jays find a place to play. We are just hoping to be part of that solution."
One plus for Pittsburgh as a location is that it would likely allow the Blue Jays to keep their taxi squad a few hours away in Buffalo. Additionally, there are only seven overlapping dates on the Blue Jays' and Pirates' home schedules, according to Davidi.
Buffalo's Sahlen Field, home of Toronto's Triple-A affiliate, was also considered, but players balked at the prospect of using a minor-league park. Baltimore's Oriole Park at Camden Yards was also floated as a potential home.
Toronto opens its 2020 home schedule July 29 against the Washington Nationals. The Pirates are also scheduled to play at home that night against the Milwaukee Brewers.