'Expositive' approach required for baseball to return to Montreal

July 31, 2025

News release from Montreal-based Players on Base Working Group

Thank you for your outstanding response rate to our survey on the return of Major League Baseball to Montreal.

It’s clear that a fire still smolders beneath the ashes — and our working group is doing its best to rekindle the flame, one branch at a time.

In a recent survey, over 88% of those polled felt baseball would return to Montreal in the near future.

The good news is that our city still shows genuine interest in Major League Baseball. Olympic Stadium could be part of the equation to revive the Expos adventure, but the construction of a new stadium by a major investor is also a very real possibility.

My message to you today is simple: let's be 'Expositive!'

Just like Orlando, Portland and Nashville, let’s show our excitement and mobilize for the return of Major League Baseball to Montreal. Let's remember that Montreal has 128 years of professional baseball history and that our city ranks as the 14th largest in North America by population, ahead of several cities vying for expansion -- and even ahead of some that already have a MLB team.

Yes, Quebec has its own linguistic and economic realities, but Montreal is a North American city well regarded by the people we've spoken to in the baseball and investment communities. We are neither better nor worse than Raleigh, N.C. but we do have a large market with a lasting love for the game.

So, let’s stay positive, united and committed to this noble cause. Baseball has given us so many unforgettable moments in the past — and everything is still possible.

Our passionate group will continue its work with dedication and purpose to help position Montreal for the next MLB expansion, which may well be our last chance before 2050.

As Wayne Gretzky so perfectly said:

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Let’s stay Expositive, explore every opportunity, and keep building on our 128 years of professional baseball history in Quebec.

The Players on Base Working Group is made up of people from the business and baseball communities in Quebec who share a passion for baseball and a vision for its return to the province.

The group of participants was established to analyze the feasibility of the return of Major League Baseball to the greater Montreal area and to assess the status of related initiatives. Since the departure of the Expos and the conclusion of the efforts led by Mr. Stephen Bronfman and his group to revive baseball in Montreal, fans have continued to express their support for the return of baseball to Montreal.

Mr. Bronfman’s group worked tirelessly to bring Major League Baseball back to Montreal through a proposed twinning model with the Tampa Bay Rays. Although this plan was ultimately rejected by the league, it succeeded in demonstrating the viability of Montreal as a potential MLB market.

We salute the immense effort of Mr. Bronfman's group, and we wish to take over the file and unite Quebec's forces for the continuation of this promising project for Montreal and the province of Quebec. Our group is dedicated to analyzing the winning conditions and the requirements necessary to ensure the return of Major League Baseball to Quebec.

For almost a year now, our mission has been to discuss with key players in the investment and baseball communities to identify innovative, sustainable strategies adapted to the Quebec context. The primary objective of the working group is to fully understand the requirements and the winning conditions to bring Major League Baseball back to the greater Montreal area and thus continue the 128-year history of baseball in our city.

Thank you.

-- Michel Frison, co-founder of Players on Base Working Group