Rays Say Split-season Plan with Montreal Rejected by MLB

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays’ proposed plan to split the season between Florida and Montreal has been rejected by Major League Baseball. Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg announced the news on Thursday. The idea of playing in both the Tampa Bay area and Montreal has been discussed over the past several years after attempts to build a new full-time ballpark locally failed. The Rays lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the team has played since its inaugural season in 1998, expires after the 2027 season. Despite reaching the World Series in 2008 and 2020, the Rays have ranked near the bottom in attendance annually.