MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred yesterday said that discussions "have been held about the possibility of playing regular season games in Montreal," according to Gregory Strong of the CP. However, there are "no immediate plans to tinker" with the annual two-game preseason series that the Blue Jays have played at Olympic Stadium. The '17 regular-season schedule was released last month, making '18 the "earliest possibility." Manfred said, "We have talked about the possibility of playing regular season games there. ... It's tough to do that in a year where you have the World Baseball Classic and a bargaining process that's ongoing during the preceding year. It's just very difficult to plan international events given the uncertainty that's caused by a bargaining year." Manfred said that in addition to labor talks, resolutions to ballpark situations with the Rays and A's "would need to made before the possibility of future expansion could be seriously explored" (CP, 10/4). Manfred said if those three issues were resolved, "Then we would begin, first, with an internal debate as to whether baseball wants to go to 32 (teams). Assuming the owners make that decision, it would then begin the process of selecting two cities. I will say, in terms of schedule format, 32 teams is a nice number for us" (SPORTSNET.ca.com, 10/4).
