5 Cities That Deserve the Rays Way More Than St. Petersburg

Despite being a baseball team with a real shot at a playoff berth, the Tampa Bay Rays remain an afterthought in St. Petersburg, as their 14,545 fans per game ranks 29th in the league, ahead of only the lowly Miami Marlins. Given the fact they are currently playing almost an hour away from the city they're named after in a stadium that should probably be hosting comic book conventions rather than MLB games, the Rays could be on the move soon, with Montreal a potential destination bandied about in recent weeks. All told, these five cities would clearly be better situations for the Rays than their current one.

5. Charlotte

The Queen City is currently home to the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the White Sox. While Rob Manfred mentioned Charlotte and Portland as potential relocation/expansion cities, the MLB's footprint in the Pacific Northwest is large enough given the Giants, A's, and Mariners. Charlotte has the size and rabid fanbase, as evidenced by the Panthers and, to a lesser degree, the Hornets, to survive as an MLB city.

4. San Juan

Before the Montreal Expos moved to Washington and became the Nationals, they experimented with Puerto Rico, playing 22 home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. Their attendance in Puerto Rico, 14,222 per game, was notably more than the 12,081 per game they were drawing in Montreal. Given the fact that nearly a third of MLB players are Latino, a franchise in Puerto Rico would be a great way to honor their passionate fanbase in the Caribbean and expand the game globally.

3. Las Vegas

Vegas has been home to minor league baseball since 1983, with the Stars calling the city home until 2000, when they became the 51s. Currently, the Las Vegas Aviators play in Summerlin, a wealthy suburb. With the continued success of the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, the city has shown they would back professional sports. With the Raiders coming to town next year, an MLB team would make Vegas a sports city on par with just about anywhere else in the country.

2. Tampa

Wait, aren't they already in Tampa? Not exactly. They might play in the Tampa Bay region, but Tropicana Field is located in St. Petersburg, a half-hour drive away from downtown Tampa on an exceptionally good day, and farther away from the suburbs that could make up the bulk of their target audience. The trip to Pinellas County can be a taxing one, which could explain the Rays' declining attendance. The law of parsimony could help keep the team in central Florida while giving them a new lease on life.

1. Montreal

As much as we laughed at the Rays' two-city proposal that will seem them shuffle between Florida and Quebec, Montreal might make actual sense as a year-round home. They had a team for the better part of five decades, have a stadium that is primed and ready for MLB games in Olympic Stadium while a new one would be built, and would help expand baseball's appeal internationally. An Expos revival seems weird at first glance, but it sure makes more sense than roughing it at the Trop.