Four Potential Relocation Sites for the Oakland A’s

Montreal

Montreal deserves a baseball team, plain and simple.

Fans in Montreal lost interest in the Expos after a series of incredible mismanagement, including some of the worst trades in MLB history. The Expos traded guys like Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore, and Cliff Lee (in the same deal!) for Bartolo Colon. They then traded Colon about six months later for next to nothing. The Expos also sent Marquis Grissom, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez packing to other teams.

Things could have been different had the 1994 lockout not happened, but that’s a whole different debate.

Fans in Montreal have clamored for the return of the Expos for years. The Blue Jays have played pre-season games there, with nearly every game sold out. You’d see signs everywhere with fans begging for their return.

There have been rumors of the Tampa Bay Rays moving to Quebec, but nothing has come of it. Will it-won’t it rumors of a new stadium have persisted with that move for a while as well. A report says just a few months ago said that Quebec is “open” to funding part of a new baseball stadium.

If the A’s relocated to Montreal, it wouldn’t be their first cross country move, but it could prove to be the best. The hunger for baseball is there, and in a city with over 1.8 million people (and a Provence of over 8.6 million) Montreal would fit the “big market” that MLB wants to sell itself to.

Given the history, Montreal would be an instant money maker. Plus, given the geographical difference, the team would change divisions, possibly to the NL East, creating a very interesting natural rival with the former hometown club Washington Nationals.